Moments in Time (Home for the Holidays verse)
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: Snapshots into the daily lives and milestones of Regina and Emma from my "Home for the Holidays" verse. Follow the two women as they embark on their new life together, deal with their ridiculously dysfunctional family dynamics, and celebrate the special occasions in their lives. Mostly fluff, some drama, some humor. Mostly centered around various holidays/events throughout the year
1. A Belated Valentine's Day Surprise

**A/N:** So, I wasn't planning on bringing back this verse until I finished at least one of my current stories, but I had received a few PMs requesting a V-Day themed snapshot and another reviewer (saragabriel) at the end of _Home for the Holidays_ kindly reminded me that I had set myself up for a particular event with the gifts they exchanged in that fic, so this idea came to me and wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it.

If you haven't read my fic _Home for the Holidays_ yet, I would highly recommend that you hop over there first to read about Emma and Regina's backstory and how they got to this moment in time (see what I did there?). This chapter will still make sense even if you haven't read the original, but future chapters will refer back to events of the first story. The original fic isn't too long, so it shouldn't take long to catch up :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this short little fluffy Valentine's Day moment!

* * *

 **1.** **A Belated Valentine's Day Surprise**

 ** _Friday, February 16. 7:30pm._**

 _I wish I was dead_ , she thinks.

Regina Mills is old enough that she should know that surprises rarely, if ever, go the way they're planned. She should know by now that it's better to forget about the excitement of mystery and the romance of spontaneity, and instead go the safe route. Safe is always better. It may be boring, but it's less likely to lead to awkward situations, like the one in which she currently finds herself.

She and Emma have only been married a few months, and it's not like they have lost any of the passionate spark in those few months of wedded bliss, so she shouldn't have felt the need to try to spice things up with an unplanned surprise. She should have just told her wife her intentions. If she had, she wouldn't be in her current humiliating predicament.

 _Please, God, just let me have a massive myocardial infarction right now…or an aneurism. I'm not picky. Something quick and relatively painless. Anything would better than this_ , she silently prays. But, God doesn't smite her down in that moment. No, she's going to have to deal with this.

She glares at her wife across the room, whose cheeks are as equally as pink in embarrassment as she sends an apologetic look back to the brunette. Regina can feel the heat in her own cheeks continue to deepen as she stands in her kitchen in nothing but a short jersey that barely covers her bare ass and white knee-high tube socks with two purple stripes around the top, which she had cleverly picked out to match the color of her Baltimore Ravens jersey.

"Um…" the brunette clears her throat, breaking the awkward silence. "I'm just going to go upstairs and change. I'll be right back," she says, using her hands to pull down the hemline of the jersey, making sure she's as covered as much as she can be, as she backs carefully out of the kitchen. As soon as she's out of sight, she runs upstairs to the master bedroom.

"Fuck," she growls out loud as she rummages through her dresser drawer, bypassing her collection of thongs until she finds a pair of boyshorts. It's not like it matters since she will be putting on pants, but she feels so exposed that she wants to overcompensate. She quickly pulls them on, followed quickly by a pair of jeans. She's about to head back downstairs when she realizes she's still in that damned jersey. It's not like it's scandalous now that the lower half of her body is covered, but she doesn't want any reminders of what just happened. So, she tosses it over her head, realizing she still needs to put on a bra, and hastily gets dressed in one of her old medical school long sleeved tee shirts. She looks as covered up and unsexy as possible, which is good — that's exactly what she's going for.

But, she can't bring herself to head back downstairs just yet, so she takes a seat on the end of their bed and then plops down onto her back, her legs still dangling off the edge. As she lies there and stares at the ceiling, she thinks back to how she got herself into this mess:

* * *

Regina and Emma had agreed to celebrate their first Valentine's Day as a married couple a few days late, as Regina had to be in Minneapolis for a three-day fetal medicine continuing education conference during the week. She had left for the airport the afternoon of the 13th and the medical seminars had started early on the morning of Valentine's Day and would run through Friday afternoon. Regina hadn't planned on returning to Washington, D.C. until Saturday night, as she had signed up to attend the closing dinner gala on Friday night and would then head to the airport Saturday afternoon. However, she had completed the number of professional development hours she needed by Friday morning, and the afternoon lectures hadn't been of particular interest or relevance to her and her practice. She also had little interest in attending the dinner, as her good friend had bailed on her and decided not to go, and Regina didn't want to face the snooty fetal surgeons with God complexes alone, especially since she had been one of the few non-surgeons in attendance. Instead, she had decided to contact the airline and had been able to get a mid-afternoon flight back to D.C. She and Emma already had dinner reservations scheduled for Sunday evening to celebrate the holiday, but she had decided to come home early and surprise her wife, who she had been missing terribly. After all, Regina still had to make good on her promise to wear nothing but that damn Raven's jersey that she had bought for Christmas, so she thought she would give Emma a surprise early-yet-belated Valentine's Day gift.

And so, that's what she had done earlier that evening. She had taken a cab back from Regan National Airport to her townhouse, knowing that Emma would still be at work at the art museum in Baltimore. After tipping the driver, Regina had quickly rushed upstairs to put away her suitcase and unpack, shower, and change into the jersey and a complementary pair of knee-high socks. She had left her dark hair to air dry, knowing that Emma loved the tousled look of her naturally wavy hair. She had kept her makeup to a minimum, opting just for a little bit of winged eyeliner and mascara to play up her eyes, along with some tinted lip balm. She had opened a bottle of Emma's favorite red wine (she had recently converted the blonde from her preference to drink white) and had started making a four cheese and spinach lasagna. It would be a carb-heavy dish, but she knew they would more than burn off the calories over the course of the weekend.

Everything had gone according to plan. Regina had even texted Emma shortly after she knew the blonde would have been done with work, making it seem like she was still in Minnesota: ' _I miss you. I can't wait to see you this weekend,_ ' she had typed out.

The blonde had immediately responded with a ' _Me too. The bed has been so empty without you in it :(_ '

Regina had bitten her lip as she typed out another message: ' _Well, I'll see you soon. Don't stay at work too late._ ' When the blonde had responded that she had already left and was on her way back home, Regina had smiled to herself, excited that her wife would be walking through their front door in less than an hour.

What her blonde wife had neglected to include in her message, however, was that she had not been alone. Had Regina known that, she would not have jumped up on the kitchen island as soon as she heard the key turning in the front door deadbolt, leaning back seductively on one hand and sipping her wine with the other as the blonde entered the house. (She's still thanking God that she had kept her legs crossed, opting for a demure pose instead of something a little more raunchy. It could have been even worse). "Oh my God, Regina!" Emma had said, her eyes wide in surprise as she saw her wife seated on the countertop.

"Miss me?" Regina had smirked as she set the wine glass down on the island and leaned forward, beckoning the blonde toward her.

"Yes, but—"

"Emma, where should I put —oh, my!" a voice had yelled in surprise, walking up behind Emma.

"Leopold!" Regina had gasped in shock. "Shit." The brunette had reflexively jumped off the counter and moved to stand behind it, blocking her lower half from view.

"Hello, Regina," he had said, biting back a laugh as he looked between his mortified daughter and step-daughter-turned-daughter-in-law.

During the awkward silence that had followed, Regina had quietly sworn that she was going to kill Emma.

* * *

"Hey," Regina hears her wife's voice, followed by the sound of the door to their bedroom clicking shut.

"Hey," Regina says, still staring up at the ceiling from her spot on the bed.

"You've been up here awhile, so I thought I would come check on you. The oven beeped a few minutes ago, so I took the lasagna out. I didn't want it to burn," she says, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed, leaning back on her hands as she looks down at her wife.

Regina sighs. She had completely forgotten about the lasagna in the oven. "Thanks."

"And to answer your earlier question, yes, I missed you. More than you know." The blonde smiles before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on Regina's lips. They hadn't had a chance to do that yet amid all the earlier chaos.

Regina smiles despite herself. "I think I have some idea," she says, sighing as she pushes herself up to a seated position. "So, your father's here."

"Yep," Emma nods.

"And why is that?"

"Some psychology research academic conference thing," Emma shrugs at her own explanation. "His co-author on their paper was supposed to present it, but some emergency came up so Dad had to come in last minute to do it. He took the redeye last night and went straight to the conference this morning. I didn't even know he was here until I saw a text from him during my lunch break asking me if I wanted to get dinner. He's leaving first thing tomorrow, so he would've been gone by the time your original flight would have gotten in, so I didn't mention it."

"I see."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you that he was coming, but you are the last person I expected to see here tonight."

"I wanted to surprise you," Regina says shyly.

"Well, you succeeded. Spectacularly," she smirks.

"Ugh," Regina groans. "I can't believe he saw that."

"Regina, I don't think he saw anything. He was behind me, and I didn't even see anything," Emma says, placing a hand on Regina's now denim-clad knee, hoping to calm her wife down.

She rolls her eyes. "Even so, it's still embarrassing. It's not like it wasn't clear what my intentions were, or the lack of clothing underneath."

Emma holds back a giggle. "I know you're horrified by it, but I appreciate the gesture. I have to admit it was super hot," she says, lightly kissing under Regina's jaw.

"That was the idea," Regina grins, unable to stop herself from tilting her head back to give Emma more access. Eventually, she comes to her senses and lightly pushes the blonde away. "Okay, you need to go back downstairs. Your father already got a show. If you're up here too long, he'll think we're having sex, and I can't deal with that."

"Regina, we're married. He knows we have sex," Emma points out.

"Well knowing about it in theory and thinking that we're so horny that we can't control ourselves when we have other people in the house are two very different things."

"Fine," Emma says, standing up. "You coming?" The blonde looks back expectantly at her wife, who has made no effort to get up.

"Oh, no. I can't face him right now," she says quietly. "Tell him I have a migraine or something, and enjoy your father's visit."

"Regina, it's really not that big of a deal. He thought it was funny."

"Not helping," Regina glares.

"Okay, he also thought it was sweet that you would come back early and surprise me." Emma sees the doubtful look on Regina's face, so she continues. "Besides, he's a psychology professor and teaches a class on human sexuality. He's never been a prude. He really doesn't think it's a big deal. I promise you, it'll be fine," she says, extending out her hand and hoping her wife will take it.

Regina sighs and concedes, allowing Emma to pull her off the bed.

"Let's go eat that lasagna. It smelled delicious and I'm starving," the blonde says as she leads the way out of their bedroom, holding Regina's hand tightly in her own to prevent the brunette from retreating back into the safety of their bedroom.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed! I have received several prompts (in addition to my own list I've been creating since you all asked for a sequel) for this verse, so follow along if you'd like and be on the lookout for new snapshots. While they will [mostly] all stick with the theme of holidays, I likely will post semi-frequently/I won't necessarily wait for a particular holiday to post. Or, I might. It depends on where I am in my other fics :) If you have any ideas or suggestions for events/holidays/things you want to see in this fic, feel free to leave your prompt in a review, or PM me.

 **A/N 2:** Saragabriel went out and found a good image to accompany this chapter. Go to Pinterest's main website and then type in "/pin/16677461101872186/" (no quote marks) at the end of the URL :P


	2. Civic Duty

**A/N:** Surprise! Here's a completely random update, one that almost crosses into crack-fic territory (though I reined it in enough so it's still definitely canon in this verse, and hopefully not overly ridiculous).

It's primary election day in Illinois, so while standing in line at my polling place in Chicago I had a random idea for a civic duty-related event in this verse, so, here you go! But fair warning: this entire idea was outlined in while I was waiting for an electronic ballot machine to open up, and I wrote it quickly over my lunch break at work in about a half hour, so it's far from my best work. But, I wanted to post it anyway, and it was oddly entertaining to write, so hopefully it'll be at least moderately enjoyable to read :P I promise future updates will be back to my usual quality of writing haha.

* * *

 ** _Tuesday, March 20. 8am._**

"This is fucking ridiculous," Emma mumbles as she enters the revolving doors of the district courthouse. "I can't believe we have to do this."

"Believe me, I'm not happy about it, either," Regina concurs as they wait in line at the metal detectors just beyond the entrance. "Hopefully, we won't be here long. Maybe they won't even need us."

"God willing," Emma replies as she puts her cellphone and watch in the basket and hands her purse over to the guard so he can make sure she's not smuggling any contraband into the city building.

"Rings, too," he says, eying the diamond band on her finger.

"One ring will set this off?" she asks, looking suspiciously at the metal detector in front of her.

"Yes. We take safety very seriously here, ma'am. In the bin."

She huffs as she takes off her ring, carefully placing it in the basket as she looks over at Regina, who is removing her own rings in the line next to her. The blonde walks through the device without much ado and quickly puts her wedding ring and watch back on, shoving the cellphone into her back pocket.

She waits patiently for Regina, who sets off the alarm and is directed to the side for a manual wand inspection by the guard. As the guard waves the handheld device over Regina, it begins beeping loudly as it passes across her stomach. Emma can't help but chuckle as she watches the guard motion for Regina to move into a private room for an additional inspection, but the brunette holds up her hand with a roll of her eyes. She quickly mutters, "that won't be necessary," untucking her maroon button-up blouse from her black pencil skirt, revealing the offending piece of metal that set off the device — a small, sapphire gemstone in her navel, the result of a drunken night when she was 19 that she hasn't bothered to permanently remove yet. (And she probably won't, because she knows Emma finds it sexy). The guard nods when he sees she's not hiding anything dangerous and waves her along toward her destination.

"It's a good thing you don't have your nipples pierced," Emma whispers as Regina joins her, following the signs down the hall. "That would've been awkward."

"Please. That would've been the most exciting thing to happen to him at work all week," Regina responds, sending what she intends to be an annoyed glare to her wife, but she can't help but be slightly amused by it. "Here we are," she says as they find their designated room. A sign reading _Jury Duty Check-In_ is written in barely legible handwriting on the door. "You know, you would think that they would have an actual sign, since they presumably do this every day. Where are our tax dollars going if they can't even afford one?"

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that question," Emma replies as she opens the door and gestures for Regina to enter. The blonde follows Regina to two seats in the back of the room and raises an eyebrow in question as she sits down. Usually Regina hates sitting in the back of any room, so she's thrown off by her selection.

"I'm hoping maybe they'll just go in order, and then by the time they get to us, they won't need us," Regina explains.

"I don't think that's how this works…"

"So how does it work?"

"I have no idea. I haven't done this before. I always managed to get out of showing up because I was away at school."

"Yeah, I figured I'd be able to get out of it as a physician, but apparently unless you're actively saving someone's life, that doesn't matter," Regina says.

"Alright, everyone," a voice says from the front of the room. They look up to see a bored-looking city employee at the front of the room, who quickly explains the plan for the morning. They have all been assigned numbers, and if they're randomly selected, then they will have to stick around for the next phase; otherwise, they'll collect their meager payment for showing up and be able to leave.

 ***.*.***

They are both required to stay through the first two rounds of cuts. It's nearly 11:15 in the morning, and they are escorted down the hall into a courtroom with a few dozen other potential jurors for the _voir dire_ portion of the morning. If they're not dismissed during this process, then they will be required to be on call for the trial scheduled to begin the next morning.

"Any last minute suggestions as to how to get out of this?" Emma asks Regina as they shuffle into the courtroom. "Can they even put both of us on the same jury? Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest?"

"You can't be forced to testify against me if one day I snap and kill Cora, but I don't think there's a law that prevents us from being on the same jury," Regina rolls her eyes as they take a seat near the back.

The bailiff, an objectively handsome man named Graham, enters the room and quickly explains the procedure. "The prosecutor and defense attorney will ask questions to each of you. If they don't object to having you as a juror, then you may be called for service tomorrow morning. If either lawyer has a concern, then you may be excused," he says. "Any questions?"

The room is silent, and no one raises a hand.

"Very well, then. We will bring in the judge and attorneys in a moment so they can be introduced, and then you will all go to the holding room next door to wait for your turn. Out of respect to your privacy, your interviews with the lawyers and judge will be conducted one at a time. Please answer every question honestly, as you are in a court of law," Graham explains in his accented voice.

A soft knock is heard on the door behind him, and he straightens his posture even more.

"All rise," he commands, and everyone in the courtroom rises as the judge enters the room, followed by the two attorneys. "The Honorable Charles Midas will be presiding over this process this morning and the case," he continues.

Emma tries to pay attention, but out of the corner of her eye, she sees a subtle smirk on Regina's face. "What is it?" she whispers.

Regina shakes her head and bites back a laugh. "Nothing…"

Emma looks at her skeptically before returning her focus to the front of the courtroom, where the two young attorneys are standing on their respective sides of the room.

"The prosecutor on this case is Assistant District Attorney Mr. Robin Locksley," Graham announces, introducing the blonde man to his right. "And the defense attorney is Ms. Ruby Lucas," he continues, gesturing to the beautiful brunette on his left.

Both attorneys quickly introduce themselves and thank everyone for showing up for jury duty. Judge Midas then jumps in and briefly and objectively provides an overview of the case — a nineteen year old college student who is accused of involuntary manslaughter of his fraternity brother.

"Yikes," Emma says under her breath. She had assumed that it would be some sort of petty theft or minor bar fight, not a case involving the death of another person.

"At this time, you may exit the courtroom until you are called for your interview," Judge Midas explains.

Emma stands to exit, but Regina quickly grabs her wrist, halting her. "What?" the blonde asks, glancing down at the hand around her wrist before she looks at her wife.

"Stay back for a second," Regina orders.

"What? Why? I don't think this is the time or place to disregard a judge's instructions," Emma says, confusion evident in her voice.

"Do you want to get out of this or not?" Regina asks with a slightly irritated tilt of her head.

"Um, yes, but what are you doing? I don't want to be thrown in jail for contempt of court," she harshly whispers.

"Relax, you won't be. Just follow me and don't say anything," she says as she stands up and approaches the bailiff at the small gate separating the gallery of the courtroom from the attorney's tables. "Excuse me, Graham?" she says politely. "I just became aware of a conflict of interest that would prohibit my wife and me from serving on the jury."

"Oh?" he asks, his eyes slowly roaming each woman before he looks between the pair, a salacious grin on his face.

Regina holds back an eye roll, knowing exactly what is going through his mind. She plays along and takes Emma's hand in hers as she continues. "Yes. May I please have a minute to speak to the judge?"

"You'll get your chance in the interview, just like everyone else," Graham says with disdain.

"Is there a problem, bailiff?" Judge Midas asks from his seat at the bench.

"No, Your Honor. Just two women trying to get out of jury duty. I'm just reminding them they'll have their opportunity to present their flimsy excuse during their interviews."

"Your Honor," Regina says boldly. "If I can have just a moment of your time, I can make this quick and save everyone a lot of time today."

Both attorneys look over at the brunette, surprised by her outspokenness. Ruby's eyes go wide, while Robin appraises the couple in front of him.

"Very well. We're not scheduled to begin for another few minutes. Make this quick," he says in exasperation.

"Thank you, Your Honor. My wife and I have a conflict of interest," she begins, looking over at the blonde who seems just as confused as everyone else in the room.

"And that would be…?" Judge Midas asks.

"Well, perhaps I should start by introducing myself. I'm Dr. Regina Mills, daughter of Henry and Cora Mills," she says, managing to keep her smirk contained as recognition crosses Judge Midas' face.

"I see. Well, Dr. Mills, I don't see why that precludes you from serving on the jury. Surely you can be impartial."

"I'm sorry, but what is the issue here?" Assistant. D.A. Locksley asks from his seat at the table. "If there's a history here, we need to know."

The judge quickly speaks up. "I knew Regina's mother years ago, when she and I were in law school."

"I would say it went a bit farther than that," Regina adds. "He and my mother dated," she explains.

"Very briefly," Judge Midas interjects.

"During a time when my parents were briefly separated. They had called off their engagement because of my mother's affair with Judge Midas," Regina continues. "But my parents eventually got back together."

"Yes, well, that was nearly than 40 years ago. You weren't even born yet. It hardly prevents you from being impartial to the defendant's case," he explains. He then turns to address both attorneys, along with Regina. "Judges oversee trials all the time where the lawyers before them are former classmates and friends…certainly a juror shouldn't be an issue."

"I have no objection to that," Robin states.

"Regina, you're making this worse," Emma whispers, afraid that Regina pissing off the judge basically guarantees that they will be forced to serve.

"That may very well be true," Regina continues to address the judge, ignoring her wife's words of caution. "As my general dislike of you on my deceased father's behalf may not impact the defendant's case."

"Good God, we're screwed," Emma mumbles under her breath, running a hand through her hair.

"But, there's more, which I was hoping to avoid bringing up out of respect for the court," the physician continues.

"I'm waiting…" Judge Midas says, his irritation quickly growing.

"I assume having been in an extensive sexual relationship with the defense attorney would be grounds for my dismissal from service, yes?" Regina asks innocently.

"What?" Emma shouts, her voice louder than she had meant it to be.

"Excuse me?" Judge Midas barks simultaneously, turning to Ms. Lucas for clarification. Assistant D.A. Locksley also turns his attention to his opposing counsel. "Is this true?"

"Yes, Your Honor…" she admits shyly, turning to waive awkwardly at Regina. "Hey, Regina…How have you been?"

"Great," Regina forces a smile in the other woman's direction before turning back to the judge. "So, considering that I have been quite intimate with counsel, I cannot truly be impartial. Nor, can I imagine, would my wife, given that she won't be able to get that image out of her head now," she continues, quickly glancing over to see the stunned expression on Emma's face before staring back at the judge with a raised eyebrow, silently challenging him.

"Well," Judge Midas says, readjusting himself in his seat. "I suppose that could be a conflict, considering your personal _feelings_ , positive or negative, for defense counsel could impact your perception of the defendant. "You are dismissed, Dr. Mills."

"Thank you, Your Honor. And what about Emma?"

He sighs. "I suppose she can be dismissed as well, given the circumstances."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Emma chimes in, glaring at Regina as she turns around to walk toward the exit.

Regina quickly follows suit, smirking at Ruby and then Graham as she follows her wife out of the courtroom. "Well, it's only a few minutes after noon. Want to grab lunch somewhere?" she asks as they walk through the lobby of the building. "We do have our $20 compensation for showing up for jury duty to spend…"

"What? Are you serious right now?" Emma asks in disbelief.

"Um, yes?" Regina says as they step out onto the sidewalk. "Why wouldn't I be? I cleared my patient schedule for today since I assumed I'd be stuck here all day, so I have time for lunch."

"You're just going to pretend like all of that was a perfectly normal morning?"

"Wait, are you actually mad about this?" Regina asks. "I just got us both out of jury duty and what could have been a very long, tedious, and stressful trial."

"I know, and I appreciate that aspect, but—"

"But, what? You know I have exes…and you do, too. It's not a big deal," Regina shrugs as they continue walking toward the Metro station.

"I know…" she sighs. "I don't know, it's just seeing her — I mean, she's fucking gorgeous — and then finding out about your history like that. A little head's up to your plan would've been nice."

"Emma," Regina says, slowing her pace to turn and face her wife. "I'm sorry I just blurted it out like that. I had hoped I wouldn't need to play the Ruby card with Midas. I was hoping he would let us out of it when he realized who I was. But it's not like I had a whole lot of time to think this through. And I really didn't want to sit in that little holding room all day and wait for an interview slot when I knew that Ruby would object to us being jurors anyway."

"When were you with her? And what happened with you two?" Emma asks, her voice quiet.

"You really want to know?" Regina questions, and when Emma nods her head, she continues. "We were never right for each other, so we amicably split. Honestly, it was really only about the sex." Regina watches as Emma cringes, and she quickly resumes talking so they can move past it. "She was starting law school at Georgetown when I was in finishing med school. We met at a professional student mixer and hooked up a few times, and even tried to date throughout my residency. But, we never were really able to be exclusive with each other, so we ended it when we found out that we were more or less cheating on each other with the same woman. We were out to dinner and bumped into this woman who we had both been sleeping with on the side. It was super awkward. We remained cordial with one another after that, but anything romantic or sexual ended long ago."

"You cheated on her?" Emma asks, genuinely surprised.

"Technically, though we weren't really exclusive at the time and hadn't set any ground rules. And it was a long time ago. I was young and stupid back then, anyway, and we didn't have any sort of meaningful connection. But Emma, I love you. You have nothing to worry about. I would never jeopardize what we have. Please tell me you know that," Regina says, taking Emma's hand in her own.

"I know," Emma smiles weakly. "It's just surprising."

"I know. It's not at all like me. And I'm not that person anymore. I would never, ever do that to you."

Emma nods. "I trust you."

"Good," Regina smiles, squeezing Emma's hand that she's still holding slightly. "Now, what do you want to eat for lunch?"

"You….we do have the whole afternoon free."

"Indeed we do."

* * *

 **A/N:** It should also be noted that I've never been summoned for jury duty (knock on wood...), so aside from some quick googling of what happens, this process may be entirely inaccurate.

Anyway, thanks for bearing with me on this ridiculous update and completely random chapter topic!


	3. Mother's Day Dilemma

**A/N:** I'm back! My apologies for neglecting this fic, but there haven't been any good holidays/events that sparked anything creative for me recently. But with Mother's Day coming up this weekend, I figured a little ditty would be in order. It's not long, because there's not a ton set to happen just yet (these are "snapshots" after all), but I think we need to check in with Emma and Regina in this verse and see what they're up to. Enjoy! (And Happy [early] Mother's Day to any mothers who may be reading this!)

* * *

 ** _Sunday, May 13, 7:35am._**

Regina sits at the round bistro table in their breakfast nook, toying with the cell phone in her left hand and the pen in her right as she pretends to read the crossword clues in the morning newspaper. Her coffee mug is sitting on the placemat half-empty, the liquid inside now cool to the touch as it sits forgotten in front of her.

"You're up early," Emma comments as she comes into the room, dressed only in her favorite plaid pajama shorts and a black spandex bralette. She pours the remaining coffee from the French press into her favorite mug and pops it into the microwave after taking a sip and realizing it needs to be reheated.

"Couldn't sleep," Regina answers halfheartedly, blankly staring at the puzzle in front of her.

"Everything okay?" Emma asks as she walks over to the table to stand behind Regina, noticing the crossword only has one word filled in.

The brunette sighs, dropping the pen onto the table as she leans back into her chair. "Today is Mother's Day."

"Oh, right," Emma says, silently kicking herself for forgetting that little detail. She quickly grabs her coffee from the beeping microwave and then takes her seat next to Regina.

"I know it's stupid. I went a dozen years without even speaking to my mother, so this day should be meaningless, just as it always had been. But things had sort of gotten better last year, and now that we're back to not speaking, it's harder than I thought it would be."

Emma reaches over and places her hand on top of Regina's on the table. "It's not stupid to feel that way. She's your mom. I get it."

"I just really thought that she would have called by now, you know?" Regina sighs. The last time she had heard from the matriarch was the evening she and Emma had returned home from Christmas in Storybrooke after they announced that not only were they in a relationship, but that they had eloped. Cora had left Regina a voicemail stating that she wasn't sure if she could get used to the idea of Regina and Emma being a couple, but that she would "try to try" to understand it. She had said that she needed time, and if and when she could accept it, she would call. But so far, there's been nothing but radio silence from the older woman.

"Yeah," Emma smiles sadly. "Are you thinking about calling her?"

"Maybe?…I don't know. She made it pretty clear she doesn't want to hear from me, and there hasn't been any indication that she's changed her mind about accepting us."

Emma nods in understanding. The blonde speaks to her father every week on Wednesday nights, but they always stay clear of the topic of Cora, which suggests to Emma that her relationship with Regina is still a topic of contention with her stepmother. Leopold, however, has been nothing but warm and accepting, occasionally speaking to Regina himself when she is available during the phone call, but at a minimum always asking his daughter about her wife. And despite the awkwardness of his unannounced trip to visit over Valentine's Day weekend where he and Emma had caught Regina in a compromising position, they had all had a lovely dinner together that evening before he returned to Maine.

"But Zelena's baby shower is later this month," Regina continues, "and I don't want to push my mother too hard now, you know? It might make things even worse and more uncomfortable when we see her, and I'm not missing my sister's baby shower just because Mother can't get over her prejudices. Nor do I want to cause a scene at what should be a joyous occasion."

The blonde purses her lips as she thinks about what to say. She really doesn't have any words of wisdom, since Leopold has always been supportive of her. She doesn't know what it's like to have a parent whose love and support seems to be conditional, predicated on the gender of her partner. Despite her hard start to her life, she's grateful for the care Leopold and Eva provided her after adopting her.

Emma decides to just speak honestly: "Regina, I don't know what to tell you to do here. You know your mother better than I do, and I don't want to give you bad advice. Maybe you should call Zelena? She talks to Cora regularly, right? Maybe she'll have some suggestions as to whether your mom will be open to a phone call from you today."

"Yeah, maybe," Regina smiles sadly and then shakes her head. "Can we just forget about this for a while, though? It's stressing me out, and it's my only day completely off this week. I don't want my mother to ruin my day when she's not even here."

"Of course," Emma replies.

 ***.*.***

The women had spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon exploring DuPont Circle, shopping a bit before heading to Jefferson's house for a late lunch with him and his husband. They had purposely avoided trying to go to any of their usual dining spots while they were out, as the Mother's Day brunch crowd would have surely made finding a table impossible. Emma had quickly fired off a text to their eccentric friend, which had resulted in an immediate lunch invitation. The nice weather had allowed them to dine on Jefferson's recently renovated back patio, and after three sangrias they had decided to call it a day.

As they walk the few short blocks between Jefferson's home and their own, their hands clasped in one another's, Regina turns her head just as they pass a small florist. "Wait," she says, stopping briefly and looking into the window.

"What is it?"

The brunette looks down at her watch and shakes her head. "Nothing. Nevermind. Let's go home. My feet are killing me."

"Of course they are," Emma rolls her eyes. "Only you would still wear three inch heels when you know we're going to be traipsing around the city all day."

"Yeah, but they make my ass look fantastic," she replies, dropping Emma's hand and walking quickly to pass her wife, smirking as she feels the blonde's eyes on her.

Upon entering their townhouse, Regina kicks off her heels and pulls out her cell phone, quickly tapping away at the screen. "Please pick up," she says under her breath as she walks toward her study, leaving Emma to follow slowly behind her, her curiosity piqued and yet feeling very confused at Regina's change in demeanor. She wants to know what's going on, but she also wants to give her wife some privacy.

When Regina enters the study but doesn't close the door behind her, Emma takes that as an invitation to linger in the doorway. She assumes Regina suddenly found the nerve to call Cora, so she wants to be close enough to lend support in case it goes poorly.

"Maurice, hi," Regina says into the phone.

 _Okay, so not Cora_ , Emma thinks to herself. _Who the hell is Maurice?_

"It's Regina Mills," she continues. "Yes, the mayor's daughter," she rolls her eyes. "I'm glad I caught you. Your website said you're open until four o'clock on Sundays, but I wasn't sure if that would apply on a holiday….yes, well, perfect. I need to place a last-minute order, and I need it delivered today….yes, I realize that," she huffs. "I'm willing to pay a surcharge, and need I remind you that my mother is the mayor? I'm sure she'll be appreciative of your customer-centered service."

Emma watches as Regina grins into the phone. She can only hear one side of the exchange, but she's getting the gist.

"I thought so," Regina smirks. "I'd like to order a small bouquet to be delivered to her today…I'm not picky about the type of flowers. You've always done good work so I trust you to use your best judgement…around $75. Nothing over the top extravagant, but nothing too ordinary — you know how my mother is…Yes, that sounds perfect," Regina says, digging into her purse for her wallet and taking out her credit card. "Oh, the card? Just a perfectly impersonal 'Happy Mother's Day' and sign it 'Regina and Emma'…yes, I did get married recently…Thank you, Maurice, that's very kind of you."

"Regina," Emma speaks up for the first time, interrupting the conversation.

"Oh, Maurice, would you hold for one moment? Thanks," she says, turning to her wife. "What is it?"

"Do you think it's a good idea to put my name on the card?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're my wife."

"I know, and I appreciate the thought. But if she still hates the idea of 'us', that might make things worse. It's your call, but maybe this should just be from you. I won't be offended."

Regina bites her lip as she thinks it over, considering her wife's words. "No, Emma, she has to get used to it. I'm not leaving you off of the card just because it might upset her. I'm not going to treat our marriage like it's a topic that requires a trigger warning every time I talk to her," she replies, grabbing the phone and putting it back to her ear. "Sorry about that, Maurice. Yes, I have my credit card ready."

Emma can't help but smile as she watches Regina finalize the order, hearing her wife thank the florist before she hangs up. "So, flowers, huh?"

"Yeah. That way I don't have to feel guilty about not doing anything and she knows I at least thought of her today, strained relationship and all. But it also means that I don't have to physically speak to her, which is a huge relief because I wasn't looking forward to it. I'm not ready to be the one to initiate a conversation. The ball is entirely in her court now," she says, plugging her phone into the charger and tossing it on her desk. She then turns to walk out of the study, pausing to quickly peck Emma's lips before walking toward the living room at the back of the rowhouse to carry on with her afternoon.

Emma follows after her, silently praying that Cora has finally come to her senses and will accept the peace offering being delivered to her that evening. Only time will tell.

* * *

 **A/N** : And now, we have some more events on the horizon, so this fic will pick up quite a bit this summer (the next update won't be nearly as long of a wait as this one was). The baby shower will be the next thing to happen, which will be a full family affair so that can only lead to interesting moments. And we'll see how Cora reacts to being in their presence again. Thanks for reading!


	4. Memorial Day Weekend: The Baby Shower

**A/N:** I do believe I previously promised a baby shower with some fluff and drama at the end of May, so without further ado...

* * *

 ** _Sunday, May 27, 10am._**

Regina frowns as she looks at the floral dress she has laid out across the bed. "What was I thinking?" she asks herself out loud. "I don't do florals."

"That's what I tried to tell you," Emma comments as she threads a curved silver earring through her ear, moving to stand behind her wife and peers over her shoulder. "But, you insisted."

"I know," Regina sighs.

Emma studies the dress in front of them. "It's not like it's hideous. It's cute."

"I don't do cute."

"I know. Which is why I told you not to buy it," Emma rolls her eyes. "But you wanted something Cora would approve of."

"It's an English garden-themed baby shower. She'll expect florals."

"Well, she needs to manage her expectations, because she seems to expect a lot of things that she'll never get," Emma says.

"Like a straight daughter?" Regina raises a brow.

"Well yeah, for one…though that worked out well for me," Emma smirks, kissing the brunette's cheek. "But today is about Zelena and Walsh anyway, and Cora did promise to be on her best behavior, so maybe she'll let this slide."

"Unlikely, but maybe," Regina mumbles.

"Do you have anything else you can wear?"

Regina shakes her head. "Not really. I only brought this, my dress for tomorrow, and then something to wear to the beach tomorrow night, or as soon as we can escape the hell that is my mother's annual shindig."

"Wear your dress for tomorrow then," Emma suggests as she turns toward the mirror to start pinning her hair back.

"And then what will I wear tomorrow?"

"It's Memorial Day. You don't need to wear a business casual dress to your mother's barbeque. You can wear denim shorts and a tank top like the rest of us."

"You clearly don't know my mother," Regina says, but she goes over to the closet and pulls out the blue and white seersucker sheath dress she had hung up for the next day's events. It isn't really her style either, it's far too preppy, but the one-shoulder cut of the dress feels slightly better to her than the ruffled floral midi dress currently strewn across the bed. Regina drops the towel she's had wrapped around her body after she got out of the shower 15 minutes earlier and quickly throws on the tight blue and white number. "Can you zip me?"

"Of course," Emma says as she walks over, a bobby pin dangling from between her teeth. She quickly zips the back of the dress, taking the bobby pin from her lips so she can place a soft kiss on the back of Regina's neck. "Done."

"Thank you," she smiles over her shoulder. "You think this is okay?"

"Absolutely," Emma says, her eyes gazing appreciatively over Regina's body as the brunette steps into her nude wedges. "You look beautiful…and hot."

Regina rolls her eyes but blushes nonetheless. "Are you almost ready?"

"Yes," the blonde replies, pinning back the last piece of hair. She slides her feet into her flats and adjusts her own dress — a white and green ombré halter dress that flares out just a bit at the knee — and grabs her purse. She extends her free hand toward Regina, her wife gratefully accepting it as they leave their room. "You'll be fine," Emma whispers lovingly into Regina's ear. "You'll see."

 ***.*.***

Regina's not fine….not really. It's the first time she's seen her mother since Christmas five months earlier. It would also be the first time she has talked to her mother since Christmas, if Cora had even attempted to say more than two words to her youngest daughter. But no, the matriarch instead has spent the first half hour of the shower sending her disapproving looks from across the garden. Aside from a brief _hello, Regina_ upon the couple's arrival, after which she had immediately turned around to greet other guests before Regina could even reply with her own "hello," Cora has been completely silent in Regina's presence. Regina has been prepared for such a reaction, but it still sends a pang of hurt through her chest.

"Here," Emma says, handing Regina a glass of sangria. "This will help."

"Thank God," she replies. "I'm so glad they still serve alcohol at baby showers, even though Zelena can't drink."

"It's the only way anyone would ever suffer through these ridiculous events — free liquor," Emma says, taking a sip of her own pink beverage. "Still nothing?" she asks.

"Nada," Regina confirms. Emma had left her side for a few minutes earlier to run to the restroom and get their drinks. They both had thought that maybe Cora would feel more comfortable approaching Regina if Emma wasn't next to her, but that didn't appear to be the case. "Apparently, we're in a passive-aggressive holding pattern all day," she shrugs. "But, I guess that's better than the alternative. The last thing I want to do is cause a scene at my sister's shower. This day should be about her and her soon-to-be baby, so if that means my mother doesn't talk to me at all, then so be it."

Emma bites back a retort, deciding that Regina is probably right. She hates that her mother-in-law-slash-step-mother won't talk to Regina, but the brunette has a valid point— this is not the place for conflict. "Well, if you want me to say anything to her and knock her off her high horse, let me know. I'm happy to do it."

Regina looks over at her wife and smiles. "I appreciate the thought, but please don't."

"Please don't what?" they hear a voice approach from behind them.

"Murder your mother," Emma says nonchalantly, addressing the very pregnant redhead who has joined them.

"Ooh, but that would be the best baby shower present anyone could ever give me," Zelena whines. "Please don't let me sister stop you."

"Uh oh," Regina says. "Trouble in Storybrooke?"

"Ugh," Zelena sighs. "It's barely been two weeks but she's driving me insane, Regina. You need to make up with her while you're in town, because that way she'll turn some of her attention to you and I'll finally catch a break."

Regina chuckles. "You're the one who decided to move into the guest house for four months. I told you to consider other options., but you chose to ignore my advice."

"Yeah, yeah, you were right. I'm not going to make it another four months. I might not make it another four days."

"Sure you will. Once the baby is here you'll appreciate the extra hands. And if nothing else, just imagine how much fun it will be for you to have your daughter screaming and disturbing Mother all the time. In fact, I think you should move from the guest house into the main house, just for that reason."

"Hmm, that is tempting," Zelena says, taking a sip of her sparkling water. "Maybe that's how I can get my revenge."

"I've missed you, Zee," Regina says, wrapping an arm around her sister's waist. I'm so glad you're back home and not an ocean away."

"Well, we'll see if it's permanent," she says. Zelena and Walsh had come to Maine earlier in the month, where they are planning to stay until the end of August, at least. Zelena wants to have the baby in the U.S., as her entire family is in the States and she would like the added support. Her fiancé's parents had passed away when he was in college, so they don't have any extended family left in London to lend their support during the next few months. The couple already had booked the Storybrooke Country Club for their wedding in August, so Zelena had figured that coming to Storybrooke early would give them plenty of time to prepare for the baby and finalize the wedding plans locally. Cora and Leopold had offered the pair the guesthouse, so they wouldn't need to worry about rent or finding a place to live during their sabbatical. "Walsh is putting some feelers out and determining what he'll need to do to practice law here, in case we decide to stay," Zelena adds. "If he can find something, then we might."

"Well, I hope you do," Regina says.

"Hi guys," Mary-Margaret says as she greets the trio of women. "Sorry I'm late to the party. The twins didn't want to eat and I lost track of time," she sighs.

"No worries, darling," Zelena says.

"How are our precious niece and nephews?" Emma asks as she steals a cookie from her sister's plate, earning herself a slap on the wrist from Mary-Margaret.

"Neal is out with David for the day playing baseball or something…I don't even know. And Evie and Robbie are hopefully down for a very long nap," she answers. "Daddy's keeping an eye on them. Cora tried to get him to come down for at least part of the shower, but he refused."

"Leopold's a smart man," Regina states before she can think better of it. She looks over at her sister sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Zelena waves her off. "Believe me, I wouldn't be here if I had any other choice."

Emma raises a brow at that. "Really?"

"God yes. You're still new to this family and have only been privy to a few of these parties, but you'll quickly learn that any event planned by Cora West is no walk in the park, especially if you're the guest of honor. At least you guys and Walsh are able to get plastered. I'm stuck dealing with Mother while sober."

"She's not that bad," Mary-Margaret tries.

"Yes, she is," Zelena and Regina respond simultaneously, causing them both to giggle.

"Well, I still think it's nice that she's throwing you this party," the petite brunette says.

"It would be nicer if she didn't have me scheduled down to the minute. Speaking of which, I've already been talking with you lot two minutes longer than I was supposed to, and if I want my scheduled pee break in five minutes, I need to go talk to one of her snooty friends now so that I don't cut her time too short. God, save me," the redhead mumbles as she waddles off.

"Wow," Emma comments, watching her walk away.

"Welcome to a Cora West-Blanchard party," Regina says, downing the rest of her drink. "I'm going to go get a refill. Can I get anyone anything?"

"No thanks," Emma says, barely halfway through her own glass. She's quickly realizing she may need to pace herself, because it's clear Regina will not be, and one of them needs to stay relatively sober.

 ***.*.***

"So, you're Emma," an older woman says to the blonde as the formal brunch is wrapping up. "Leopold's daughter."

"Yes," Emma forces a smile at the woman who has been sitting next to her throughout the meal, though until now she hasn't spoken. She doesn't know who the woman is, but based on the judgmental looks she's being subjected to, she doesn't find that she really cares to find out.

"So, you're Zelena and Regina's step-sister," the older woman continues.

"Yes…technically," Emma says, her fake smile quickly fading. Regina has been resting her hand on Emma's thigh as the brunette engages in conversation with the woman sitting across from them at the table. Emma feels the grip on her thigh tighten briefly, though she isn't sure if it's in warning or protection.

"But you and Regina—"

"Are married, yes," Regina cuts in. "Hi, Bitsy," she says to the older woman. The name rolls off her tongue with distaste.

"Regina, dear," Bitsy says with a disapproving look. "Your mother had such high hopes for you…"

"Bitsy, for the love of God, stop, please," another woman interrupts from behind their chairs, and Emma hears Regina release a breath.

"Oh, thank god," Regina whispers to herself. "Hi, Nancy," she says, turning around in her seat.

"Hello, gorgeous. It's good to see you again," she says, kissing Regina on the cheek as the woman known as Bitsy quickly leaves the table in a huff. Nancy promptly takes her spot. "And you must be Emma," she says, looking at the blonde.

"I am…" Emma starts, still confused.

"Emma, this is Nancy Colter. Daniel's mom," Regina explains, and it suddenly clicks for Emma. Regina had mentioned to her that Daniel's mom was the only parental figure who had outwardly protested the attempted arranged marriage between Regina and Daniel after they graduated high school. Regina's own father, of course, hadn't supported the idea, but he hadn't had much of a say in the situation since he was in the middle of a contentious divorce. After the breakdown of the engagement and subsequent estrangement from Cora, Nancy had stayed in contact with Regina to make sure she was handling it well. The two have lost touch over the years, but Regina has always appreciated the older woman.

"It's nice to meet you, Nancy," Emma says.

"You as well. I've heard so much about you," she smirks.

"Really?" Emma asks, looking at Regina who is blushing uncontrollably.

"She may have told me about her little drunken hookup right after she told Cora that she wouldn't be marrying my son," Nancy clarifies. "Of course at the time, she didn't really know who you were. She just referred to you as, what was it, Regina?" she asks, looking at the embarrassed brunette. "Oh yes, the 'hot lesbian who proved that I'm most definitely gay.' I believe that was it."

"Oh God," Regina says, resting her head on her hand on the table.

"Regina, where are your manners?" Cora scolds as she happens to walk by. "Behave with at least a modicum of respect. Elbows, dear," she admonishes before walking off.

"Jesus," Emma says, rolling her eyes.

Regina sits up and lets her elbows slide off the table so her mother can't yell at her again. "At least she spoke to me. That's an improvement, I suppose."

"Anyway," Nancy says, "I think it's lovely that you found your way to each other again, and I wish you nothing but the best."

"Thank you, Nancy. That means a lot."

"I hope to see you before you head home. Will you be at the picnic tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Nancy smiles knowingly before standing up to make her way to the drink table. "Take care of yourself, Regina." Her words are light, but their meaning is heavy.

"She seems nice," Emma says when the woman is no longer in earshot.

"Yeah, she's wonderful. Always has been."

"So, who was that other bitch?" Emma asks.

"Oh, Bitsy? That would be Daniel's stepmother. And Mother's former campaign manager."

"Wow."

"Yep. We're not the only family in Storybrooke with fucked up dynamics. It's a small town with a lot of dysfunction."

 ***.*.***

"Oh, thank God," Regina sighs as she collapses on the bed as soon as they return to their room at the bed and breakfast. Now that Walsh and Zelena have taken up residence in the guest house, Regina and Emma have opted to stay at the local inn. Leopold had told them it would be fine for them to stay in the main house, but with Mary-Margaret, David, and their three kids also at the mayoral mansion, and the ever-present feud between Regina and Cora, that would have been too much stress to manage. "I thought that was never going to end. I know it was only three hours, but that was brutal."

"I know. But you survived," Emma says kicking off her shoes and then sitting down next to her wife on the bed.

Regina looks up at her and opens one eye. "Barely. I still can't believe she would stoop that low."

"That surprised me, too. But really, I think she just made herself look bad. I think some of her friends realized just how shitty she has been to you.'

"Maybe, but I don't care if her friends know that she can be a horrible human being, and I don't think she cares either. Her goal was to hurt and humiliate me, and she succeeded," Regina sighs. During the baby shower games, Cora had organized a game where everyone places a baby photo of themselves that they had been asked to bring on the table, and then the attendees guess who is who. Neither Emma nor Regina had brought a photo, knowing that they were at their parents' house and could grab one from an old photo album. Emma had done exactly that, thanks to Leopold keeping the baby book Emma had with her when she was adopted after her biological parents' death. But Regina had quickly learned that her mother no longer had any of her baby pictures on hand, saying that they were probably in storage somewhere. Of course, she had no problem locating several of Zelena's baby photos that are still prominently displayed around the home, but Regina had been erased from all pictorial memory.

"I'm sorry, babe," Emma says, laying back on the bed to join Regina, draping an arm around her stomach. "Anything I can do? Is there anything specific you want to do for the rest of the day before we go out to dinner with David and Mary-Margaret?"

Regina shakes her head. "Not really. I think I just want to nap. It's been a stressful morning, and I'm still tired from our late flight last night. Will you just lay here and cuddle with me?"

"Of course I will."

* * *

 **A/N:** Oh, and is it Memorial Day weekend? That sounds like a holiday to me! I had already planned on having Zelena's baby shower be at the end of May before I even realized it would coincide with Memorial Day. So, this means that you might get two updates back-to-back, if I get myself together enough to write a Memorial Day chapter by tomorrow. (I certainly set myself up for one here, and I have some ideas for Cora's barbeque). Let me know what you think, and in the meantime I'll try to get something down to have a bonus part-two chapter :)


	5. Memorial Day Weekend: The Cookout

**A/N:** Whew. I wrote over 6000 words in less than two days for these two chapters. In fact I wrote this nearly 4k chapter entirely today. Time for me to get a drink while you guys read it.

* * *

 ** _Monday, May 28, 12pm_**

"That was a huge turnout," Emma comments as she follows the crowds down Main Street. The Storybrooke Memorial Day Parade has just concluded, and the spectators are dispersing away from the town center, mostly moving toward the mayoral estate for the annual cookout.

"I told you," Regina starts, taking Emma's hand and linking it with her own as they slowly walk down the road. "My mother doesn't do anything small. 'Go Big or Go Home' has always been her unofficial motto, at least when it comes to running this town."

"I can see that. It looks like every person in town was here."

"It's true. My mother may be a raging bitch to me, and sometimes to Zelena, but the townspeople love her, for the most part. She was elected mayor when I was 18, and she's listened to her constituents and has made a lot of improvements to the town," she explains. "It would just be nice if she could extend the same courtesy to me."

As predicted, Cora had made a sly comment about Regina's attire before the parade that morning. Cora had said the denim shorts and red cotton tank over her white bikini top was far too casual for the "First Family of Storybrooke." _It's all about appearances, dear,_ Cora had reminded her. Regina had held back an eye roll, simply saying that she and Emma were going to go to the beach later and she didn't want to have to change clothes. Fortunately, Cora had let it go and quickly moved on to her mayoral duties for the annual tradition.

As they continue walking toward the house, Emma squeezes Regina's hand a little tighter before bringing it to her lips and placing a quick peck on the back of it. "Are you sure you want to go to her barbeque? I'm sure my dad would understand if we decide to skip it."

"No, we have to go," Regina says. "I can't let my mother think that she's won."

"Okay," Emma nods. "But if you want to sneak out early, just say the word."

 ***.*.***

 _It could be worse,_ Regina thinks as she nurses a cold beer and watches a few high school students play cornhole in her mother's backyard. She has been at the party for about an hour, and no fireworks have gone off just yet. Her mother had coolly greeted the pair when they arrived, but she had at least offered them a drink. Regina had been most surprised when her mother had even said _I didn't get a chance yesterday to thank you for the Mother's Day flowers_. That had been all that she said, but it's the closest to a genuine show of gratitude she has received from her mother in over a decade, so Regina had been happy to accept it.

"Are we next?" Emma asks, appearing at Regina's side with a fresh beer of her own and interrupting the woman's thoughts.

"Yep. We've got winners from this round," she confirms.

"Excellent. I haven't played this game in years."

"Oh, good," Regina deadpans. "I'm sure we'll be great, then."

"Relax, Regina," Emma says as she nudges her with an elbow as they walk toward the wooden beanbag targets to take their positions. "It's just a game."

Fifteen minutes later, Regina mutters "well, there goes my pride," as she and Emma walk back toward the grill, having just been defeated by two high school football players.

"Hamburger, cheeseburger, hotdog, or brat?" Leopold asks as the two women approach. He's been manning the grill all afternoon, keeping the guests well-fed and happy.

"Cheeseburger for me, please," Regina says, her mouth practically salivating at the thought. She doesn't let herself have burgers often, but she loves them.

"Same. Thanks, Dad," Emma adds.

He quickly fulfills their requests, sliding the burger onto their paper plates. "How are you girls today?" he asks.

Regina knows it's a loaded question. "Better than yesterday," she says. And it's true. There hasn't been a confrontation yet, so she's grateful for that.

"Good," he smiles.

"Am I right to assume you had something to do with that?" Emma asks knowingly.

He shrugs. "I simply told her last night how excited I was to have you both in town this weekend, because I don't get to see you as often as I'd like, and that I hope it will be a positive experience for everyone."

"Well, thank you," Regina says sincerely. "She seems to be on slightly better behavior today."

"You're welcome. And feel free to come back for seconds if you're still hungry after that. We've got plenty. Your mother basically bought out the entire supermarket for today."

Emma laughs as she looks at the two buffet-sized tables that are filled with side dishes, desserts, and condiments. "Yeah, we can see that."

 ***.*.***

"God, I'm stuffed," Regina sighs, leaning dramatically into Emma's side. "That was so good. Leopold knows how to make a good burger."

"Be sure to tell him that. It'll be a nice ego boost for him," she says, running her fingers through Regina's hair. The two get lost in the moment and Emma bends down to gently kiss Regina's lips. "Love you," she says softly as she pulls back.

"Eh hem," Zelena clears her throat from across the picnic table. "If you two are going to get all disgustingly cute, I am going to excuse myself. I'm already dealing with indigestion from the large baby inside me and the onions on that burger. I don't need you two making me even more nauseated."

"Love you too, Zee," Regina chuckles, but makes no effort to move from her spot leaning against her wife's shoulder. "I could so take a nap right now."

"Then do you want to find a spot in the grass? It might be more comfortable than sitting up here. At least for me if you insist on using me as a pillow."

"Sure," Regina says, standing up from the table and taking their empty plates. "Go grab a spot and I'll meet you down there."

Emma nods and starts heading farther down the expansive property, toward a clearing of grass where some of the younger kids are playing tag and their parents are watching from the sidelines. The blonde finds a folding chaise that's been set up for lounging and quickly claims it.

Before Regina can join her, she literally bumps into her mother. "Regina, dear, are you enjoying yourself?"

She takes a steadying breath, prepared for whatever condescension is about to come. "Yes, mother. You've outdone yourself once again."

"That's nice of you to say, dear," Cora says, giving her a tight smile before walking off and leaving a confused Regina staring after her.

 _That's it?_ Regina asks herself as she starts walking toward Emma.

"You okay?" Emma asks when Regina sits down next to her on the chaise. "I saw that Cora intercepted you."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Regina says. "She just asked me if I was having a good time and then walked away."

"Really?" Even Emma seemed surprised. "No backhanded, passive-aggressive comment?"

"Nope. Literally nothing."

"Huh."

 ***.*.***

"Regina, get up. I need to pee," Emma says quietly, brushing a strand of hair that had escaped from Regina's ponytail off her face.

"Hmm?" she asks, getting her bearings.

"You fell asleep, and I can't move."

"Oh," Regina chuckles, pushing herself up. They had been laying on the chaise and watching Neal and the town kids run around the yard. Regina's food coma had caused her to pass out in her wife's lap. "Sorry."

"No worries. Do you want anything while I'm up?"

"Another beer would be great," she replies.

"You got it. I'll be right back," she says, kissing the top of her head as she runs off toward the house in search of a bathroom and more booze.

"I know I've said this before, but you guys are so cute together," Mary-Margaret comments. She and David have been watching their son play with his new friends, grateful that the Storybrooke children quickly accepted him into their group, even though he's just visiting.

Regina blushes a bit, as she offers a quiet "thank you."

"Are things any better with your mom?" Mary-Margaret asks hesitantly.

"I mean, they're certainly not any worse than they were at Christmas, so that's a good thing, I guess," she shrugs. "I wouldn't say they're better, though. We're actively avoiding one another, it seems…which is okay."

"Here you go," Emma says as she hands Regina a bottle of Blue Moon. She immediately sits back down behind Regina on the chaise and leans back, pulling the brunette with her until she's resting against her chest once again. She wraps her free hand that isn't holding her own beer around Regina's waist, and Regina threads her fingers through Emma's as she rests their joined hands across her abdomen. She feels Regina relax into her, letting out a small sigh of contentment. "Don't fall asleep on me again," Emma warns with a smile.

"I won't. My eyes aren't even closed," Regina smirks, tilting her head back to look up at her wife.

"Okay. Just checking."

"So," Regina starts. "Is Neal excited for summer break? And more importantly, are you?"

"Most definitely," Mary-Margaret nods. "I love my job, but being in charge of 20 eight-year-olds all day is exhausting. I think Neal's excited, too. This was his first year where he was in school for the full day, so it's been a long year for him."

"I bet. Any big plans for summer, then?" Emma asks.

"We're going to visit my parents for the Fourth of July," David comments. "And this one has been begging for a trip to Disneyworld," he teases, pointing a thumb at his wife. "I think she has a thing for Prince Charming."

Mary-Margaret rolls her eyes. "That will have to come later in the summer, though. Neal has day camp for most of June. Plus we'll be back here for Zelena's wedding at the end of August, and hopefully sometime in July after the baby is born. I'd love to see the little one before the excitement of the wedding. Are you guys traveling at all this summer?"

Emma looks down at Regina who shrugs. The brunette then says, "We haven't made any concrete plans. Friends of ours always have a big party for the Fourth in D.C., so we'll be sticking around home for that. I'd like to be here when Zelena has her baby or shortly thereafter, but it depends on when that actually happens. And then we'll obviously be here for the wedding, since I'm a bridesmaid and will be in charge of holding the two-month-old flower girl."

Zelena had already announced that she wants her newborn baby girl involved in the ceremony and with them at the altar, much to Cora's dismay. The older woman found it unorthodox and gauche, because, she reasons, if the baby were to cry during the ceremony, it would ruin everything. But, Zelena had been unwavering, and Regina had been proud of her for standing up to their mother. She just hopes Cora isn't able to change Zelena's mind, as there are still a few months left before the big event. Knowing Cora, Regina suspects she's just waiting for Zelena to be exhausted after the baby is born. Then, Cora will make her move to have things go her way.

 ***.*.***

"This is nice," Regina comments later that evening. They had escaped to the beach for a bit in the afternoon, meeting up with some of Regina's friends from high school who were in town for the long weekend. Jefferson had stayed behind in D.C., but Kathryn and her husband, Daniel and his wife (who he had just married a few months earlier), along with a few others had made the trip back for the annual festivities. Memorial Day had always been a big to-do in Storybrooke, officially kicking off the launch of summer. Just as they had in high school, they snuck a few six packs of beer onto the private beach and spent a few hours playing a half-hearted game of beach volleyball, wading in the ocean, and making out with their respective partners in the sand. But now, they were back at the mayoral estate, still covered in sand despite trying to rinse off in the water, and relaxing in the backyard by the fire pit.

"It is," Emma smiles as she leans into Regina's side on the bench. The brunette's arm is draped around Emma's shoulders, and the blonde's hand finds hers, pulling her closer.

The other guests have long since retired for the day, and it's only the immediate family remaining around the small bonfire. David is showing Neal how to make a perfect s'more, while Leopold holds his granddaughter a safe distance from the flame as he dances with the giggling girl around the outside of their circle. Mary-Margaret, meanwhile, holds a sleeping Robbie in her lap.

Regina is mostly successful in her attempts to ignore her mother, who is sitting directly across the fire from them. She can only occasionally see the stern woman's expression lit by the flame, and it's mostly unreadable — perhaps a mix of disdain and discomfort. But, Regina had decided earlier in the day not to let her mother ruin an otherwise great weekend with their family, so she pulls Emma a little closer and kisses her temple.

They all sit in silence a bit longer, mesmerized by the flickering orange and yellow before them until Zelena interrupts their trance. "Alright, I must excuse myself and head to bed. The little one will be waking me up early as usual, I'm sure, and I'd like to get some shut-eye." Walsh helps her to stand up from the creaky bench, and they circle around the fire saying their goodnights. "Have a safe flight back to D.C. We'll see you when the baby comes, yes?" she asks as she approaches her sister.

"Absolutely. Call me the second you go into labor, and I'll be on the first flight out here. Since it's your first, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time," Regina winks as she stands to hug her sister and her future brother-in-law.

After the couple retreat to their guest house, Mary-Margaret and David quickly follow suit so they can put their three young children to bed. "We'll be back in 20 minutes or so, if you're all still out her then," Mary-Margaret says as she hands Robbie to David and takes Evie from Leopold's arms.

Emma looks briefly over at Regina before turning back to her sister. "Hey, Mary-Margaret, do you mind if I come in and read the twins a short story before bed? I don't get to do that nearly as often as I'd like…or ever, really."

Mary-Margaret smirks. "Sure."

Emma leans over to Regina and whispers in her ear before kissing her cheek. "I'll be five minutes, max."

Leopold quickly excuses himself as well, saying he wants to see his two daughters put his grandchildren to bed, leaving Regina and Cora alone on opposing sides of the fire. _How poetic_ , Regina thinks.

After a few moments of deafening silence, when it's obvious that the others have purposely orchestrated this, Regina breaks the tension. "Well, they certainly aren't subtle."

"No. That is not their strength."

Regina sighs. She has nothing more to say, so she leaves it up to Cora to make the next step, as she knows the woman won't stew in the quiet for long.

And Cora doesn't disappoint.

"I'm surprised you came today, let alone returned here after your little beach excursion. I would have thought you wouldn't be able to escape soon enough"

"Well, Emma wanted to spend more time with her father and the rest of our family."

"I see. Well, I'm still surprised, considering you think I've been such a 'raging bitch' to you."

Regina pales at her mother's use of air quotes, which she can just barely make out in the glow of the bonfire. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," she says softly.

"Oh please, Regina. I have eyes and ears all over this town. You can't expect that the mayor's daughter ranting about her hatred of her mother in the middle of Main Street after a town holiday celebration won't make its way back to me."

Well, Regina feels sufficiently guilty. She quickly shakes it off and refocuses her energy. "I _never_ said I hated you. Don't put words in my mouth."

Cora scoffs. "Be that as it may, the townsfolk nonetheless interpret it that way. Words have consequences, Regina."

"Yes, Mother, believe me. I know. I've been living under the burden of yours since the night of my high school graduation."

That shuts Cora up.

But only briefly.

"Don't turn this around on me, Regina," Cora states flatly.

"Of course not. Because you're perfect and must maintain that fake persona in front of your adoring citizens. Fine, then. I'm sorry I called you out as a 'raging bitch,' although it's not an untrue sentiment, when I was having a private conversation with my wife…who you still fail to acknowledge."

"I acknowledged Emma. I said 'hello' to her several times this weekend and asked how her job was going."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Yes, because that's totally sufficient," she says. "If you can't accept that she's my wife, if you refuse to acknowledge that, then fine. But at least treat her the same way you treat Mary-Margaret. She is your husband's daughter. Leopold is a great and patient man, Mother, but he won't put up with your bullshit forever. I can tell that he tries to play off your behavior like it doesn't bother him, but I can see it in his eyes that every time you dismiss Emma, it hurts him. I saw it in Dad's eyes for years before you split up, after I told you that I'm gay. And in case it isn't brutally obvious, if it ever comes to that, I'm on Leopold's side. And I imagine Zelena probably will be, too," Regina says, taking a swig from Emma's wine glass that is still sitting next to her on the bench.

Regina can hear her mother exhale, but the older woman doesn't seem to have a rebuttal.

They sit silently for several more minutes, and Regina can't help but wonder what's taking Emma and Leopold so long to come back. She knows they're probably standing in the kitchen and watching this awkward encounter, so clearly they know that neither she nor her mother are speaking any longer. Regina decides to count to 60, and if they don't return by that point, then she will go inside herself to retrieve her wife and drag her back outside, or better yet, leave to go back to their room at the inn.

She gets to number 47 in her head when she hears her mother's voice again. It's quiet, and she mumbles, so she almost misses it. "Are you happy?"

Regina looks up, startled, but she doesn't hesitate in her response. "Yes. Very."

"Good," Cora says, and it's almost a sigh when she repeats it again: "good."

"Am I interrupting?" Emma asks hesitantly as she rejoins them. Regina hadn't heard her approach.

"No, you're not," Cora says matter-of-factly.

Regina is thrown off by her mother's sudden change in demeanor, but she's relieved Emma's back. "I was actually just about to come find you. We have an early flight tomorrow, so we should probably head back."

"Oh," Emma says, slightly dejected. She had hoped her ploy with her father to give Regina and Cora some alone time wouldn't have resulted in Regina wanting to make a quick getaway. "Okay."

Regina extends her hand, wordlessly indicating for Emma to help her up. "Sorry," she says as she finds her footing. "I've been sitting so long my ass is completely asleep."

Emma chuckles as she pulls Regina into her, pecking her lips sweetly. They both forget they have an audience until they hear Cora quietly clear her throat.

"Right," Regina says under her breath. "Mother, it was a lovely parade as always, and thank you for having everyone over for the cookout."

Cora nods curtly as she, too, stands. "Let me walk you out."

Emma sends Regina a worried glance as they follow her to the gate in the wrought iron fence that surrounds the backyard of the property. Cora opens the gate and gestures for the women to walk through, following them down the driveway toward the Prius they have rented for the duration of their stay in town.

"Leaving so soon?" Leopold asks as he emerges from the garage, where he had been putting away the croquet set and some of the other games the guests had been playing earlier in the day.

"Yeah, we have an early flight back to D.C. in the morning," Regina says.

"Oh, well okay, then. Have a safe trip back, and give us a call or text when you get home so we know you arrived safely."

"Of course, Dad," Emma rolls her eyes as she steps toward the man, giving him a hug.

"And you'll be back in a month or so to come meet the baby, right?" he confirms as he hugs Regina goodbye.

"Absolutely. I'm not going to miss meeting my new niece as a newborn."

"Hopefully you won't have to deliver this one," he jokes.

She can't help but laugh. "Oh, I won't be. I don't want to be anywhere near the labor and delivery room when Zelena's in there. I can only imagine what hell she'll put her OB through. I'll stay in the waiting room, where it's safe."

He smiles as he looks over to his wife, who has been observing their conversation from the sidelines. She lets out a resigned sigh and moves close enough to them that he can wrap his arm around her and pull her to his side. He nudges her slightly, and she gets the message.

"Well, I'm glad you were able to join us, and we'll see you in a month or so," she manages to say, her mayoral mask in place, reflecting a sense of composure even though they all know she's anything but comfortable.

"Yes, you will," Regina says confidently, looking her mother in the eye. She then takes Emma's hand and turns to her wife. "Let's go."

Emma nods and sends one last smile to her father and a slightly less pleasant one to Cora as she turns around and heads to the car, taking her keys out of her purse as she walks around to the driver's side door.

"Regina," Cora says quietly, taking a few more steps to close the distance between where she had been standing and where the car is parked on the driveway.

"Yes, Mother?" she sighs as she turns around, her hand on the open passenger door, mentally preparing herself for a final snarky comment or passive-aggressive insult.

"I really am glad you're happy," she says quietly, her eyes cutting over to Emma for such a brief moment that if Regina had blinked she would have missed it. "You look happy."

Regina is gobsmacked. "I am."

"Good. Have a good drive back to the inn," she says before turning around and walking back toward the house, past Leopold and back inside, leaving a stunned Regina staring after her.

"Regina?" Emma asks from where she's standing with one foot on the ground and one partially in the car. "Ready?"

Regina takes a deep breath and allows a small smile to cross her lips. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the two chapters and that you had a nice long weekend. The next chapter will be when Zelena's newborn arrives, so it'll be about another month or so most likely before I update. (Both because my life is about to get absolutely insane with work and personally, and because I am trying to keep the timeline in the fic in line with the actual dates).


	6. Fourth of July

**A/N:** Happy Fourth of July to any American readers! (And Happy Wednesday to everyone else). Continuing with the holiday theme, let's see what these two get up to on this national holiday. (And my apologies, but this is kind of a crack fic chapter...but I had an idea and had to run with it. Hopefully you'll enjoy the ridiculousness).

* * *

"Are you serious right now?" Regina rolls her eyes as she walks over to where Emma's iPhone is resting on the counter. She hits the 'next' button on the Spotify app, ceasing the brass band and vocal talents of Chicago and the melody of "Saturday in the Park" that had been blasting through the Bluetooth speakers.

"It was thematic. And better than _America the Beautiful_ ," Emma defends as she pulls her hair back into a low ponytail, slipping her feet into her red Converse. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," Regina says as she grabs her keys.

"Do you know where this place is?"

"Vaguely. Some mansion in Alexandria. Once we get out of the city it shouldn't be too hard to find," Regina replies. She grabs her purse and opens their front door, gesturing for Emma to walk through. "I just hope this is fun. I hate parties where I don't know anyone."

"Well, you know Jefferson and Will…and me."

Regina can't hold back her eye roll. "Obviously. I just meant that Jefferson and Will's Fourth of July party is always so epic, and by now I at least know all their friends. I'm surprised Jefferson is passing over the torch this year to whoever these Decker people are."

Emma shrugs. "We'll find out. If it sucks, we can always leave. I just don't want to get stuck in the chaos of the Capitol Fourth celebrations."

"Worst case scenario we can get a hotel somewhere in Alexandria if we can't make it back without getting caught up in the chaos, but hopefully this won't be bad and we'll be out late enough it won't be an issue," Regina adds as she pulls out of their alleyway and onto the street.

 ***.*.***

"Regina! Emma! You made it," Jefferson calls as he sees the two women walk into the backyard. He's clearly already three sheets to the wind, and the red Solo cup in his hand indicates he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

"We did," Regina smiles as he pulls her into a hug.

"I'm so glad. Let me introduce you to everyone," he says, releasing Regina and grabbing for Emma's hand, tugging her along into the yard. Regina follows dutifully behind them as he walks over toward the pool, where a handful of guests are playing a lighthearted game of water polo. "Tom!" he calls as he signals to the guy manning the grill. Regina can't help but think that he looks like he just walked out of _Melrose Place_ — far too pretty to be real, and there's something caricature-like about him. "These are my good friends, Regina and Emma. Ladies, this is Tom Decker. One of the hosts."

"It's nice to meet you," Emma says as she shakes his hand.

"You as well," he says, moving to shake Regina's hand and holding it a bit longer than necessary. He looks at her a little too intensely.

"You have a lovely home," she says, pushing past the moment.

"Thank you. Perhaps we can give you both a full tour a little later," he smiles before turning back to the grill to flip the burgers. "Can I get either of you a drink? Margarita? Harvey Wallbanger?"

"Those both sound great, so whatever is easiest," Emma comments.

"Excellent. How about one of each? Then you two lovely ladies can share," he winks as he disappears behind the outdoor bar.

"I think he likes you," Jefferson whispers, poking his head between Emma and Regina before kissing them each on the cheek. "Good luck with that. I'm going to go find my handsome husband."

"What did Jefferson mean by that?" Emma asks.

"Here you are," Tom says before Regina can respond, setting the two drinks onto the bar. "Enjoy. And if you want to come back for seconds, you know where to find me."

"Thanks…" Emma says, turning around and delicately taking the straw between her teeth as she sips the fruity beverage.

"What's with that guy?" Regina asks as she does the same. They find an empty lounge chair on the deck and claim it as their own.

"I have no idea. Maybe he was just being friendly?"

"Seemed a lot like flirting to me…but with both of us, which is weird," Regina says, draping her arm around Emma as she peers over her shoulder. Tom catches her eye and winks at her. She quickly turns back to her wife, pulling her a little closer.

"Isn't he married?" Emma asks.

"I thought that's what Jefferson said, but I haven't heard anyone mention his wife."

Just as they began to settle into the lounger, a voice startles them from behind. They turn around to see the gorgeous brunette. "You must be Emma and Regina," she says. "Tom told me we had some new arrivals. Welcome. I'm Trina."

"It's nice to meet you, Trina," Emma says, unable to stop her eyes from roaming the woman's body. She's wearing a small red and white striped bikini — fitting, for the occasion — and nothing else. Emma can't help but think she looks a bit like she could be Regina's sister. Her hair is shorter, and she's a little thinner, but not quite as muscular as Regina has become over the past few years, thanks to working out her stress from medical school and residency in kickboxing classes and through crossfit.

"You as well," Trina smiles, not-so-subtly checking out both of the women in front of her. When she finally meets their eyes again, she chuckles. "Well, please, let Tom and me know if you need anything… and I do mean anything at all." She says, bending forward slightly to place her hand on each of their shoulders, giving them both a generous view of her cleavage before she turns and walks away, hips swaying as she does so.

"Okay, what the fuck?" Emma asks, looking over at Regina.

"I have no idea."

 ***.*.***

"Another drink?" Trina asks the women later that evening. The cookout portion of the party ended hours ago, but the drinking, desserts, and fireworks are still on-going. Emma and Regina have moved inside, along with Jefferson and Will and a few other guests. The majority of the guests the women met earlier in the day seem to have vanished. Regina can't recall any of them leaving, and there are still a lot of purses and shoes piled in the corner of the living room, but the people are nowhere to be seen.

"I'm good," Regina says. "Thank you, though."

"Then how about that grand tour?" Trina offers.

"Oh, sure," Regina says. She stands up and extends her hand to Emma, who takes it graciously.

"Great! Follow me," Trina says, taking Regina's free hand in hers and pulling her down the hall.

"So, how did you two meet?" Trina asks as she guides them down the hall, showing them a few of the guest rooms. "Oh, shit, sorry!" she interrupts herself when she opens one of the doors and sees a couple making use of the bed. She quickly backs away, stifling a laugh.

"Oh, my," Regina says, averting her eyes when she sees the two naked bodies on top of the bedspread.

"Sorry about that," Trina says, closing the door to the room. "Usually they don't come up here."

"Usually?" Emma asks.

Trina just smiles. "So, you were going to say how you two crazy kids got together…"

"It's a really long story," Emma laughs uncomfortably.

"I've got time," the other brunette smiles. "This way," she commands with a flirtatious lilt in her voice. She continues the tour, opening the door to the master bedroom.

Emma looks over at Regina, who shrugs. The blonde then tells their story, beginning with meeting at Jefferson's New Year's Eve party when Regina was in college, and the abbreviated story of their subsequent hook-ups until they discovered that their parents were getting married years later and met again at the engagement party.

"Wait, so you're technically step-sisters?" Trina asks incredulously. "Well, that's unexpected."

"Oh, we know," Regina chuckles. "We try not to think about that. But in our defense, we were sleeping together long before our parents ever met."

"Whatever, you're all adults and not actually related," Trina shrugs. "Okay, this is the last stop on the tour." She pauses outside a door, her hand resting on the knob.

"Okay…What are you waiting for?" Emma asks, confused.

Trina bites her lip. "I'm not sure you'll be able to handle it."

"What is it?" Regina asks, her eyebrow raised.

"Our playroom."

Regina's mouth drops open, while Emma's eyebrows furrows. She finally speaks. "Wait, like _Fifty Shades?_ " It's the first thing she thinks of when she hears the word 'playroom.'

Trina chuckles and shakes her head. "No. It's not that kind of playroom. Anything more than light bondage has never really been my thing," she winks.

"Well, I'm assuming you don't have kids…" Emma continues.

"It's definitely not a room for children, no," Trina smiles and takes a breath, preparing to explain what's behind the door. "Tom and I have an open marriage. As do many of our friends. This is where most of that goes down….no pun intended."

"Oh," Emma says, realization finally dawning on her face. "So the couple upstairs…"

"They relocated their fun, apparently. Or maybe they just weren't into having other people involved. Who knows," Trina clarifies. "You're welcome to check it out if you're interested, but no pressure."

"Hi, ladies," Tom says as he approaches from the opposite end of the hall, a young blonde in tow. He has his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his side as his hand runs up and down her back. But, that doesn't stop him from stopping to kiss his wife as he passes by. "You heading in, baby?"

"I will in a bit. But, please, feel free to get started without me," Trina says with a smile, cupping his chin with her hand and quickly pecking his lips again, winking at the woman on her husband's arm when she drops her hand from his face.

"I look forward to it," he smiles before quickly cutting his eyes over to their guests. "But if there's a private party happening, do let me know."

"Somehow, I don't think you'd be invited to that one, dear," Trina smirks as she eyes the couple next to her.

"Touché," he nods. "But you'll tell me all about it later, right?" he whispers into Trina's ear. She just laughs.

With that, he guides the young blonde into the room. Regina and Emma can't help but crane their necks to peek into the room as the door opens, curiosity getting the best of them. They can barely see anything due to the low light, but they can see the outline of bodies scattered around, and with the door open for just a brief moment, they can hear the moans emanating from the space.

"Oh wow,' Emma says under her breath.

"Yeah," Regina exhales.

"So, do you want to go in?" Trina asks. "Of course, you're not obligated to do anything. Some couples just like the environment to be with each other. A few never even interact with anyone else and just do their own thing."

"Oh, um…" Regina stammers. _Do I want to go in? Does Emma?_ she thinks. She's so far out of her element.

"I think we'll sit this one out," Emma squeaks out. "But thanks for the offer."

"Well, it's an open invitation. Always," Trina smiles. "Feel free to stick around and keep eating and drinking. But if you leave before I come back out, thank you for coming."

"Thank you for having us," Regina smiles. Trina leans over to kiss each of their cheeks before opening the door to the playroom and slipping inside, a chorus of _'Trina!'_ heard from inside as the woman disappears behind the closing door.

When the door latches behind her, the two women are left staring at it. "Um," Emma says.

"Uh huh," Regina mutters.

"So, shall we go home, then?"

"Yes, I think so." They turn to head back toward the main part of the house, grabbing their purses from where they left them on a chair in the living room.

"Leaving already?" Jefferson asks when he sees them scoop up their bags.

"Yes," Regina says, still flushed with embarrassment and shock.

"Trina showed you the playroom, didn't she," he says with a knowing smile.

"You knew?"

"Of course. Tom and Trina's parties are legendary. And they don't exactly keep their activities a secret."

"So you purposely invited us to a swingers' party?" Emma asks. "Are you out of your mind?

"What?" Jefferson shrugs. "It's not like anyone is going to force you into anything. You'll notice Will and I aren't down in the basement. Not everyone participates. And did you not have fun otherwise? Tom and Trina are the best, and they know how to throw a damn good party."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Well, still, a little head's up would have been nice. Trina and Tom have been flirting with us all day, but we thought it was harmless. We were a little blindsided by the proposition."

"Huh. Well, I guess I owe Will $50."

"What? Why?" Emma asks.

"He said you wouldn't go for it, but part of me thought you might. You've both always been a bit free-spirited, especially considering you hopped in to bed together the first night you met…and the second…and the third…"

"Okay, we get it, Jefferson," Regina interrupts. "And that's different. We were young and single. We're very much happily married now. Monogamously."

"Suit yourself. I also figured that even if you wouldn't take them up on their offer, you might at least hook up in the playroom. Will and I did that once."

"Seriously?" Emma's eyebrows raise. "You guys did it in a room full of other people?"

"Yep," he smiles. "We were drunk. So were most of the other guests. I doubt anyone saw anything anyway, but it was hot. Nice change of pace. Exciting."

"I don't know what to say to that," Regina deadpans. She then turns to her wife. "Ready to go home?"

"God yes."

* * *

 **A/N:** I mean, how can you not have a semi-Swingtown crossover for the 4th of July? :P


	7. Labor Day Weekend

**A/N:** It's a holiday weekend here in the US, so you know what that means...time to check in to see what these two are up to! It's time for a quick 3-day weekend trip back to Storybrooke to meet baby Robyn for the first time and for Zelena and Walsh's wedding. Pretty much all fluff :)

Have a good and safe Labor Day weekend!

* * *

 ** _Sunday, September 2: 10:30am_**

"Are you ever going to let me hold my niece?" Regina asks, not bothering to mask her annoyance.

"You need to finish getting dressed. Matron of Honor and all that," Emma replies, not once looking at her wife. Instead, she beams at the two month old infant in her arms, the strawberry blonde curls starting to make their appearance on the formerly bald head.

"I am dressed."

"Oh," Emma says, looking up briefly, unable to stop herself from licking her lips as she takes in Regina's appearance in the emerald green strapless dress. "Well, in that case you need to keep yourself clean. I'd hate for little Robyn to spit up on you."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Regina says, shuffling closer and holding out her arms to reach for the little girl. She sighs in frustration when Emma turns her back on her, shielding the baby from Regina's grasp.

"I think your sister would disagree. She put me on baby duty, and I take my job very seriously. You know Zelena will freak if anything happens to your dress before photos. You can hold her after the ceremony."

"You suck," Regina huffs, heading over to the credenza to pour herself a mimosa.

 ***.*.***

Regina bites her lip to stop from crying as she watches Zelena kiss Walsh for the first time as a married couple. She catches Emma's eye in the front row, and the blonde winks at her as she holds Robyn's hands and mimics a clapping motion to join in the audience's applause. Regina can't help but wonder what it would have been like to have a wedding. She's glad they didn't wait and loved eloping in New York City, but a small part of her wonders what it would have been like to get married here, in the large yard of the estate where she grew up. But then she catches Cora's eye, and she remembers exactly why she didn't.

After they walk back down the aisle and cocktail hour officially begins, Regina finally manages to wrestle Robyn out of Emma's greedy hands. "There's my girl," she coos as she snuggles her against her chest. "Ugh. Babies smell so good."

"You deliver babies for a living. I would think you'd be used to it," Emma comments, running her hand through Robyn's fine curls, unable to completely pull herself away from the child.

"They don't smell that great at that point in time. It takes awhile for that new baby smell to appear…amniotic fluid isn't exactly the most appealing scent," Regina laughs. "But regardless, random babies of patients will never compare to my darling precious niece." She kisses Robyn's head to punctuate her point.

"And how would she compare to your own son or daughter?" Emma asks nonchalantly.

Regina turns to look at her. "You really have baby fever, don't you?"

Emma blushes as she breaks eye contact with her wife and nervously reaches for one of Robyn's hands. She gives the baby her index finger, and Robyn reciprocates by grabbing it immediately. "You could say that."

Regina sighs. She had known this was coming. They had discussed their general thoughts about kids when they first got together, which was when Regina had revealed to Emma she was infertile. Emma hadn't minded, as she had always wanted to be pregnant and would be happy to carry their children, if Regina was okay with it. Emma had then brought it up again at Christmas, right around the time they learned Zelena was expecting. She had been quiet for a few months after that, but throughout the summer Emma had continued to drop hints, and her weekly tradition as of late has been stopping by Regina's office for lunch and purposefully asking to go to the sandwich place in the adjoining hospital, which is conveniently down the hall from where all the newborns are kept until they are ready to go home. Emma never fails to stop and point out just how cute they all are. "We can talk about it," Regina concedes.

"Really?" Emma lights up.

"Yes. Just maybe not today, and not here…" Regina comments, cutting her eyes briefly over to their parents who are only a few feet away.

"Okay. Fair enough," she smiles, leaning in to kiss Regina's cheek. "I am going to take this baby-free opportunity to run to the bathroom and get a drink. Can I get you anything?"

"A gin and tonic would be lovely."

"You got it. Be right back."

 ***.*.***

"You're a natural," Leopold comments as he takes an empty seat next to Emma, who has resumed her duty as Robyn-minder.

"You think so?" Emma asks, unable to hide her smile. She's completely mesmerized with her new niece.

"I do. And I think Regina thinks so, too," he says, nodding toward where Regina stands at the bar getting them another round. The brunette quickly looks away when she realizes she's been caught staring. "Will I be getting more grandchildren anytime soon?" he asks with a brow raise.

"Dad…" she cautions, but there's no bite to her tone.

"You can't blame me for asking."

"We're in the very early stages of discussion…meaning that we've agreed to talk about it. So don't go buying any bassinettes on our account anytime soon."

"Duly noted," he chuckles. "But for what it's worth, I think you'd both be great parents."

"Do you think Cora would agree with you?" Regina asks as she joins them, taking her seat once again on Emma's other side as she sets down the drinks she retrieved from the bar.

"Does it really matter?" he questions.

"Touché," she smiles.

 ***.*.***

"You're really not going to let her go," Regina chuckles as she threads her fingers through Emma's free hand, resting her head on her shoulder as they walk back toward the main house after the guests have all left.

Emma looks down at the sleeping baby swaddled against her chest and then back to Regina, laughing as she notices that both Robyn and Regina are yawning. "Never. Zelena is going to have to pry her away from my cold dead hands."

"Maybe we should just steal this one, then. I see laboring women every day. It's a lot of work. This one is already ripe for the taking," Regina says, gazing over at her niece.

"We might be able make a run for it. Zelena and Walsh are otherwise occupied this evening…we could make a run North and be in Canada before anyone knows she's missing," she suggests, trying to keep a straight face.

They enter the main house through the back deck, coming into the kitchen where the caterers have already cleaned up. There are a few snacks left out on the table, including the leftover open bottles of wine, which Cora and Mary-Margaret help themselves to immediately upon stepping inside the house.

"I'll take this one and get her ready for bed along with our twins," David says as he approaches his sister-in-law, taking Robyn from a reluctant Emma. "And her crib is in our bedroom, so don't be getting any midnight kidnapping ideas," he playfully glares at the couple who feign guilt.

"I'll join you and read them a story," Leopold says as he finishes some leftover crudités, following David out of the room. "I don't get to put all my grandchildren to bed all at once very often."

"Wine, Regina? Emma?" Mary-Margaret asks, taking the bottle from Cora as she tops off her own glass.

"I'm fine, thanks," Emma says.

"I've already had plenty," Regina agrees. "I'll be lucky if I don't' have a raging hangover tomorrow as it is."

Cora can't hold back a quiet scoff.

"Problem, Mother?" Regina leans forward, resting her hands on the island as she mentally prepares herself for some stupid argument. They've only been in town for a day and a half, and thus far they've managed to avoid any hostile discourse, if only for Zelena's sake. But now that the wedding is done, anything is fair game.

"Of course not. I just would imagine a woman of your age would be a little more mindful of her limits."

"Says the woman guzzling down her third glass of pinot in the last hour," Regina adds.

"So, Regina," Mary-Margaret cuts in, determined to keep things civil. "How's work?"

Regina smiles at the other brunette's attempt at keeping the peace. "It's good. I'm presenting at a conference in Vancouver later this month, so it's been busy preparing for that on top of my patientload, but it's good."

"That's exciting," Mary-Margaret says.

"And what about your job, Emma?" Cora asks.

Regina and Emma share a look, surprised that Cora willingly spoke to either of them. Granted, it looks as though it physically pained her to ask a question, but she nevertheless did it. "Oh, it's going well, thank you," she replies when she moves past her shock. "We have a new exhibit opening in 10 days, so we're getting ready for the artist's reception. It's always a big event and stressful, no matter how many times we host one, but it's always fun in the end."

Regina smiles as Emma explains the event and the featured artist's work. She loves how much pride Emma takes in her work, so she unconsciously shifts a little closer to her wife and rests a hand on her low back. "Don't let Emma fool you," Regina chimes in as Emma concludes her story. "She may act all humble, but these opening receptions are always amazing. Emma has really elevated the quality since she joined the museum."

"How would you know?" Emma teases. "I was already working at the museum when we started dating, so it's not like you had ever been to one of them before I started working there. You have nothing to compare it to."

"True, but I've seen photos of events from before your time…and I've talked to your coworkers. You're extremely talented, dear. The museum is lucky to have you," Regina points out. She grins when she sees Emma blush.

"Do you get to go to all the openings, then?" Mary-Margaret asks, just as David and Leopold rejoin them in the kitchen.

Regina takes a sip of her water and nods. "Most of them. Emma's usually working right up until the start of the event, but then she gets a little bit of downtime to enjoy the party, so I try to go whenever I can, as long as my schedule allows. A few laboring mothers have had other plans or I've had a few travel conflicts, but this one I'm planning to go to. I'm extra excited because I love the artists' work, too. We have one of his originals hanging in our front hallway at home."

"That's great," Mary-Margaret smiles. "Does Emma ever get to go with you when you travel for conferences?"

Regina shrugs. "Sometimes. It depends on her work schedule and how busy I'm going to be at the conference. The ones here are usually only two or three days and jam packed, so it's not usually worth it for her to come out, because we'd barely have any time together. The last international conference was during the wedding," Regina says, referring to Cora and Leopold's wedding the previous year, which she had not been too upset about missing, even though Emma had attended. "So, obviously, Emma couldn't come with me to that one."

"I'm going to Vancouver though," Emma adds in. "She'll be out there for four days, and it's not that long of a flight so it's worth it."

"Yeah. And I'll have a lot of downtime because I'm only presenting, not attending. It's not even my specialty, so I have no reason to hang around the convention center all day."

"That should be fun, then," Leopold says. "Like a little mini-second honeymoon."

Regina smiles as she looks at Emma. "Or a belated first honeymoon. We didn't really take one last year, unless you count the two days we had in New York after we eloped." She can't help but notice her mother's frown at the mention of her marriage.

"Well, in that case this is much deserved. I hope you're able to enjoy it and not work too much," he says. "Do you have any plans for your one-year anniversary? Maybe a more substantial trip?"

"I wish," Emma says. "Both of our schedules don't really allow for that. And our anniversary falls on Thanksgiving weekend this year, so we'll already be at Mary-Margaret and David's for that."

"But…" Regina cuts in, glancing over at Emma who gives her a slight nod and reaches for her hand under the edge of the island, softly squeezing it in support. "Because our anniversary falls over the holiday, and we didn't get our act together in time to do anything this summer, we decided to have an early anniversary party next month. It's not going to be anything big…it's just a small gathering to make up for the fact that we eloped so other than Jefferson and Will, since they were on the trip with us and served as our witnesses, none of our other friends or family were there. If you're able to get to DC that weekend, we'd love to have you. But if not, we totally understand that it's short notice."

"We'll be there," David says without hesitation. "Neither of us work weekends, so we can make the schedule work."

"Good," Emma smiles at her sister before chancing a glance at Cora, who is hiding behind her fourth glass of wine. "You don't have to answer now," Emma adds, looking between her dad and Cora, and then over at Regina who is actively avoiding her mother's gaze. "We're renting out a friend's café for brunch on that Saturday morning, so we don't really need RSVPs since we have the venue regardless. Just let us know closer to the date whether to expect you."

"Well, that sounds lovely," Leopold says non-committally. They all know that he'll be there, but the big question mark is the woman standing next to him, who still hasn't said anything.

"Well, let us know when you know," Regina says, chancing a look at her mother. "We really would like you to be there, but only if you can be truly supportive," she adds, not wanting to ignore the elephant in the room. "Anyway, take some time to think about it. I'm exhausted so I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, everyone," she says, setting her water glass down next to the sink.

"I'll be right up," Emma says quietly as Regina walks back past her.

 ***.*.***

When Emma enters the bedroom 10 minutes later – the same room that Regina once called her own as a child, though it has been redecorated into a guest bedroom – Regina is already under the covers and reading her novel. "Hey," she acknowledges as the blonde walks in.

"Hi," she smiles as she quickly strips off her dress and throws on the pajama shorts and tank she brought with her.

"Did anything exciting happen after I left?" Regina asks, taking off her reading glasses and closing her book, resting both on the nightstand next to her.

"Not really. Cora excused herself to go take a shower and Mary-Margaret went to go check on the kids to make sure they're still sleeping, so David, Dad and I just chatted a bit."

"Oh," she says. "Well, that's good I guess."

"Yeah," she says, slipping under the covers and wrapping an arm around Regina.

"Do you think she'll show?" Regina asks after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know," Emma says. "At least she didn't storm out or say anything outright."

"That's true. This has been the most civil weekend we've had with them…but the weekend isn't over yet. We still have to get through brunch tomorrow."

"Fair point. But, I'm choosing to remain optimistic."

"Good, because I'm choosing to remain pragmatic."

"That's why we make a good team."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you liked this little update! For any readers of _A New Exploration_ , I promise that I am working on the final chapter. It's not abandoned, and I'm like 80% done with the chapter. There's a lot that needs to happen and I want to do it justice, and it hasn't been flowing as easily as the other chapters have for me. But, it will be up within the next few weeks. This fic will be updated too in early October for their anniversary party :)


	8. Giving Thanks

**A/N:** Yikes, it took me much longer than I planned to get the next chapter up. Long story short: this semester has been a nightmare because I'm covering another faculty's maternity leave, so I'm teaching an overload of classes, which means the wedding reception that was supposed to happen in September/October didn't happen. Instead, this chapter will have references to it, so you can still see what happened (no big loss, tbh. I don't think a separate chapter would have been that exciting). I wanted to get this up by the end of Thanksgiving weekend in the States, but I got home from spending a few days with extended family to find my kitchen flooded because of a frozen/leaking pipe and needed to have all of my plumbing changed out. So, this is super late. But, better late than never, right? Plus, Thanksgiving is a fun holiday so hopefully no one minds reliving it a week later. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

* * *

 ** _Thursday, November 22, 10am._**

"Oh, please no," Regina says as she cuts her eyes over to Emma, who is sitting next to her and grinning as she pulls up a new Spotify playlist on her phone.

"What? You said 'no' to _A Star Is Born_."

"That's because you haven't stopped playing it for the past three weeks. I can't do it anymore," she rolls her eyes before focusing on the road, sighing as Josh Groban's voice comes over the stereo, singing the first few notes to "Silent Night."

"That's why I picked this. You love Josh."

"Love may be a bit of a strong word, but regardless, it's too early. You know my rule. No Christmas music until after Thanksgiving dinner. You can't wait another 12 hours?"

"Nope," the blonde grins as she looks out the windshield, her smile turning to a frown. "Are you sure you're going the right way?"

"Yes, dear," Regina says. "I did grow up here."

"I know, but this is the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine Zelena choosing to live out in the boonies. She doesn't strike me as someone who would like to rough it."

"Well, she did choose to live in Storybrooke, which I would have thought hell would need to freeze over before that happened, so…"

"It's pretty out here. I'll give her that," Emma replies, taking in the forest around them.

"Uh huh," Regina agrees, half-heartedly.

"Hey, you okay?" Emma asks, looking over. She places her hand gently on Regina's thigh.

"Yeah, just nervous all of a sudden."

"Your mom?" Emma asks knowingly.

Regina subtly nods.

"I know she didn't show up at our reception last month, but my dad made it sound like she really was sorry," Emma offers. Leopold had attended the belated wedding reception the two women had thrown in D.C., but Cora had sent her regrets. She had blamed her absence on an important and contentious congressional debate in her district that she had to moderate as the mayor of Storybrooke. "And she did call us to apologize. She sounded genuine."

"Oh, please. She's a politician. She's basically a professional actress. It was clinical and what she thought we wanted to hear. And she's the mayor. She could have rescheduled the debate, or she could have had anyone else from city council moderate in her place. She was just too chickenshit to actually own up to the truth."

"If that was true, then why would she invite us for Thanksgiving?"

"Technically, she didn't. Zelena did," Regina retorts.

Zelena, Walsh, and Robyn had finally moved out of the mayoral mansion guest house and settled into their new home the previous month, a farmhouse on the outskirts of Storybrooke. After much negotiation with Cora, Zelena had been given permission to move the annual Thanksgiving celebration to her new home instead.

"I'm sure it will be fine. My dad said that Cora seems to be coming around."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Well, we'll find out soon enough," she says, throwing the rental car into 'park.' She takes a breath. "We're here."

 ***.*.***

"Regina! Emma!" Zelena calls as she opens the front door. "You made it!"

"Hey, Zee," Regina smiles, kissing her sister on the cheek as Emma does the same. "Of course we did. And where is my beautiful niece"

"With Walsh, Leo, David, and the twins in the den."

"Excuse me, then," Regina says, before realizing she doesn't know her way around the house. "Uh…where is the den?"

"Through the kitchen, then down the hall to your left," Zelena laughs, pointing toward the back of the house.

"Thanks. I'll be right back," she says, quickly disappearing.

"This house is lovely, Zelena," Emma comments, turning the redhead's attention back to her.

"Thank you, but you've only seen the foyer. I'm happy to give you a full tour when Regina gets back."

"Speaking of, is she going to run into your mother back there?"

Zelena shakes her head. "No. She and your sister went back to the mansion to pick up the pies."

"Look who I found," Regina calls out as she walks back into the room, a giggling baby Robyn in her arms.

"You're so good with her," her sister comments.

Emma smiles as she watches Regina gently rock the infant back and forth. "She's a natural," she agrees, a look of awe in her eyes.

Zelena smirks. "She is…so, would you ladies like a tour?"

"Yes, please," they answer in unison.

 ***.*.***

"Regina, can I speak with you a moment?" Cora asks as she gently places the large pan of stuffing in the oven.

Emma sends Regina a concerned glance but says nothing.

"Um, of course…" she answers hesitantly, setting down the towel she had been using to dry dishes.

"And Emma, you too," Cora adds.

"Oh, sure…" she says quietly, following Cora and Regina into the laundry room off the kitchen, jumping slightly when she hears Cora close the door behind them.

"What's up?" Regina asks, getting straight to the point.

"I wanted to…apologize," Cora says, much less self-assured than Regina has ever heard her before. "…for missing your reception in D.C. I know I called to tell you as much, and Leo was still able to go, but I wanted to tell you in person."

"Oh," Regina says, pleasantly surprised. "Well, thank you. We appreciate that."

Emma feels Regina reach for her hand and takes it willingly, squeezing it gently. "We do. Thank you, Cora."

The older woman smiles — well, grimaces, really — before opening the door and backing out of the room, leaving the couple alone.

"Well, that was unexpected," Emma comments, turning to face Regina.

"Yeah, no kidding," she says. "That's honestly the most genuine I've seen her in years. I think she might have actually meant it?"

"Well, that's something then."

"It is," Regina smiles. "I'll take it."

"Shall we rejoin the party then or should we test the limits of her acceptance by having a quickie on top of the dryer?"

Regina rolls her eyes and walks out of the room, leaving Emma chuckling to herself.

"What on Earth are you making?" Emma asks when she catches up to Regina in the kitchen.

Mary Margaret looks up from the blender in front of her. "Margaritas!"

"Margaritas, really?" Emma questions her sister. "That's not very Thanksgiving-y."

"True. But, I've been putting up with 20 fourth graders at work who are still on sugar highs from Halloween and are already overexcited about Christmas, so…I need this."

She pours the concoction into several glasses and hands a pair to the women. "I'll pass," Emma says, crinkling her nose. "Not really my thing."

"Ditto," Regina nods.

"Fine, more for me!" Zelena happily takes the drink as Regina pushes it away. "I feel like a bad host. Can I get you two something else, then? Wine, maybe?"

"Zelena, it's only 11 in the morning," Regina points out.

"So? It's 5 o'clock somewhere…besides," she adds quietly, "I saw you were talking with Mother. I figured you might need it."

"Surprisingly, she hasn't done anything to drive me to drink yet."

"Really? Cora Mills Blanchard isn't making you reach for the liquor cabinet?"

Regina smirks. "For once, no."

"Wow. It's a Thanksgiving miracle."

 ***.*.***

The day continues to go surprisingly well. Contrary to Regina's expectations, even in light of the bewildering apology from her mother, Cora is pleasant and even acknowledges their presence rather than being merely tolerant of their existence. "Do you think Leo laced her breakfast pastry with weed or Xanax?" Zelena had whispered to Regina at one point after Cora engaged Emma in authentic conversation. "She has to be high. There's no other explanation."

"I have no idea, but I'm not going to argue with it," Regina had replied. "If we can get through a family holiday without any major crises, that will be a win in my book."

And so, they had continued to prepare the meal, with Cora focusing on the turkey itself while Zelena and Regina worked on a few of the side dishes, and Mary Margaret and Emma baked some additional dessert options beyond the pie Cora had previously prepared.

It's a little after four in the afternoon when they finally sit down to dinner, and Regina is finally relaxed enough, thanks to the half bottle of wine she split with Zelena when they were supposed to be waiting for one of their sides to finish cooking, to think that just maybe, this dinner might not be the total disaster she's been bracing herself for. Or, at least she hopes that's the case.

"Wine, anyone?" Zelena asks as she walks around the table and pours the chardonnay into the empty goblets at each place setting. Regina takes hers gratefully and takes a sip, while Emma nudges hers back from her plate and takes a large sip of water, bracing herself for some sort of argument. While Regina has remained calm, Emma has become more vigilant as the day wears on, expecting that some sort of confrontation is bound to happen, and she wants to be clear-headed and focused when it does.

"I would like to propose a toast," Cora says, interrupting the quiet chatter among the table. She raises her glass as she begins speaking. "First, to Zelena and Walsh for hosting all of us today," she begins, nodding at her daughter and son-in-law and smiling at Robyn, who is sleeping in the bassinette just behind them. "You have a beautiful home and it's lovely spending the holiday here, "she continues. "And Leo and I are so glad that we are all getting to spend it together, and that all our children were able to make it to Storybrooke."

Regina catches Emma's eye and sends her a forced smile as she subtly reaches for her hand under the table, her smile becoming more genuine when Emma squeezes her hand lightly in support. Both women are preparing themselves for the worst, knowing that it would be Cora's modus operandi to turn a toast into a passive aggressive attack on Regina.

"And finally," Cora says, jarring both women from their evidence-based paranoia, "I would like to wish Regina and Emma a happy first anniversary," she states, raising her glass before murmuring "cheers" and retaking her seat.

"That's it?" Regina questions, not realizing she said it out loud.

"Pardon?" Cora replies.

"Sorry, I'm just…well, I'm surprised."

"I think 'thank you' are the words you're looking for, dear."

Regina holds back an eye roll. If that's the worst her mother has to say to her all day, she'll take it. "Thank you, Mother," she says. "If I'm being honest, I'm just a little surprised that you haven't had anything disparaging to say about Emma and me, let alone that you remembered it's our anniversary," she offers as explanation.

"I know I haven't been accepting, Regina, but I really am trying."

"I can see that. And thank you," she says, nodding her head in deference to show her sincerity.

"And even if I didn't agree with it back then, or how you informed us that you were married, I'm not going to forget that you told us you eloped over Thanksgiving last year. That's certainly not a fact that would be easy to forget, regardless of how I took the news at the time."

Regina can't help but chuckle. "Fair enough."

"Okay, enough of your odd way of kissing and making up," Zelena interrupts. "Let's eat. I'm famished."

The meal progresses without much fanfare, the conversation temporarily dying down just long enough for the family to shovel more of the feast into their mouths. As it comes to a close, Emma and Regina offer to help Zelena and Cora clear the table.

"Not a fan of chardonnay, Emma?" Cora asks as she eyes the full glass that remains next to her plate.

"It's fine," she says. "I'm just the DD for tonight. With it snowing a bit outside and not being familiar with these winding rural roads, I don't want to take any added risk," she answers.

"I'll happily drink it, then," Regina smiles as she takes the glass. "Are you sure you don't want it?"

"It's all yours, babe," Emma laughs as she quickly pecks Regina's lips before taking an empty dish to the sink.

To Cora's credit, she doesn't cringe when she sees the display of affection.

 ***.*.***

"It smells amazing in here," Regina comments as she walks in the back door of the kitchen at the mansion the next morning. She and Emma had stayed in the guest house, while Mary-Margaret, David, and the twins had taken the guest rooms in the main house. "Are you making apple cinnamon pancakes?"

"Of course. It's tradition," Cora comments as she pours more batter onto the griddle. "Where's Emma?"

"Oh, she'll be here in a few minutes. She had an early work phone call that couldn't wait, so she's running a bit late. She was just hopping out of the shower when I left but she didn't want to hold me up."

"Ah, I see. Well, no hurry. Zelena, Walsh and Robyn aren't here yet, and I still have half the batter left to go."

Regina smiles as she maneuvers around the island to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Thank you again, Mother, for being so kind yesterday."

Cora moves her shoulders in a way that an average person would interpret as a shrug, but Regina knows her mother has never shrugged a day in her life. "I realize that I may have had some prejudices. If I am being honest, I'm still not completely comfortable with it, especially given that she's Leopold's daughter…"

"Emma and I first got together long before you even met Leopold—" Regina interjects.

Cora holds up her hand. "I know. And you're both adults. It's not like you were raised together. I get that. As I was saying, this is not what I expected when I raised you, but as Leopold has been saying relentlessly over the past year, you didn't choose your sexuality. And Leopold won't shut up about how happy you and Emma are together…"

"We are," Regina confirms.

"Good," Cora replies tightly. "So, I am trying to make a conscious effort to be more open to it."

Regina nods. "Okay, then. Well, thank you," she says, sipping her coffee. It's hardly an enthusiastic response, but she knows it's the best she will likely ever get, and she doesn't want to argue anymore. Her mother is clearly trying, and that's all she can ask.

*.*.*

"Alright, everyone, eat up," Cora says as she places the last platter of pancakes on the buffet next to the crockpot of scrambled eggs, the tray of bacon, another platter with French toast, and a large crystal bowl of berries. A pitcher of freshly-made orange juice sits at the end of the table, next to two bottles of champagne for a build-your-own mimosa bar.

"This all looks impressive, Cora," Emma says as she picks up a plate and looks over the options.

"Thank you, Emma," Cora replies with a smile, taking her seat at the head of the table.

The meal is off to a good start, with more pleasant conversations continuing from the night before. Talk of new things in their lives, their jobs, and their plans for the upcoming year are discussed. Mary-Margaret reveals that she and David are planning a trip to Europe in the spring, hoping that traveling with two-year-old twins won't be a nightmare.

"You okay?" Regina quietly asks Emma when she sees the blonde set down her fork and push her half-eaten plate back slightly. She looks a bit pale, yet also flushed.

Emma exhales as she rolls her neck. "I don't know," she responds, taking another deep breath. "Nope." She stands up and excuses herself abruptly, rushing out of the room and down the hall.

Regina watches her leave before continuing to cut a piece of her own French toast. Zelena raises a brow at her. "What?" Regina asks, noticing that everyone is looking at her.

Zelena speaks up. "Is she okay? Aren't you going to go check on her?"

Regina shrugs. "I'm sure she's fine. It may just be a migraine aura. She thought she was getting one this morning, and hers are sometimes triggered by certain foods. She hates when I hover because she thinks I get too 'doctor-y', so she does her own thing. If she's not back in five minutes I'll make sure she's okay, but she should be fine."

"If you say so," Zelena says, judgement present in her voice.

Regina rolls her eyes and goes back to her breakfast, resuming the conversation with Mary-Margaret and David. "So, where in Europe are you planning to go first?"

A few minutes later, the blonde returns to the table, looking a bit more refreshed than when she left. She retakes her seat quietly, hoping to go unnoticed.

"Feeling better?" Regina asks her softly as the blonde takes a sip of her orange juice.

"Yes, much," Emma nods.

"Is everything all right, Emma?" Leopold asks, concerned, as he looks over at his daughter.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine," she says, stabbing a piece of pancake with her fork and looking at it before deciding she can't eat it anymore and setting her fork back down again, the metal rattling against the side of the plate.

He appraises her, knowing his daughter well enough to know when she's not being truthful. "Emma….are you sure? What aren't you telling us?"

"Dad, I'm fine… honest. There's nothing to worry about." Emma feels Regina nudge her foot under the table. She looks over to her wife, who gives her a subtle nod. Emma looks back at her, confused, not sure what Regina is trying to say.

The brunette rolls her eyes as she stands up to refill her mimosa. As she comes back to the table, she pauses behind Emma's chair, kissing the top of her head before whispering in her ear. "I know it's early, but just tell them. They won't stop looking at you like that until you do," she says, so only Emma can hear her.

Emma looks back at Regina, who is settling back into her chair and taking a sip of her drink. "You sure?" she asks, once again earning a nod from Regina.

"May as well."

"Okay…"

"What's going on?" Cora asks.

Emma looks between Cora and her father, who still has an expression of concern on his face, and she can't let him think that she's hiding some terrible illness from them. "Okay. Umm…we weren't going to say anything yet, because it's still really early, but I'm pregnant."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yay cliffhangers! Sorta. So, Cora has really made progress and has come around, but how will she take this new development? The next chapter will be Christmas/New Years, so I'll see you next month with that! (and hopefully you'll see something else from me in the meantime. I've been working on a few things so hopefully they'll be up and running soon-ish :)


	9. Mother's Day: Round Two

**A/N:** I'm sorry I haven't updated. I was supposed to do a Christmas or NYE chapter, but I wrote a different Christmas fic instead and then a new Valentine's Day fic. I had been kind of stuck on where I wanted this one to go, but today is Mother's Day and I finally had an idea for it, so I wrote this instead of revising my Chapter 2 of my dissertation, which is what I really should be doing. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Mother's Day: Round Two**

 ** _Sunday, May 12, 11:30am_**

"Well, this is certainly better than last year," Regina comments as she reaches her hands above her on the white linen bed sheets, groaning as she feels her now-full stomach stretch and expand as she arches her back. She thinks back to the holiday the previous year, where she hadn't spoken to her mother in months and was worrying over whether she should acknowledge the annual holiday or not.

"Indeed it is," Emma smiles. "Who knew it would just take a grandchild to change her ways?"

"She is smitten with him," Regina chuckles as she shifts closer to her wife, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"What was that for?"

"I love you," she says unnecessarily. "You're amazing. I'm so happy you came into my life again. And I'm so grateful that you didn't let me leave and run back to DC that first night."

Emma takes Regina's hand in hers, resting between them on the bed. "I think that was more the airline's doing and general lack of flights on Christmas Eve, but for what it's worth, I'm very happy you stayed."

As Emma pulls on their joined hands to bring Regina closer to her, a wail from down the hall interrupts them. She sighs as she pulls back. "I should go check on him."

"Nonsense," they're interrupted once again, Leopold walking in through the cracked door to their bedroom. "Cora and Zelena have got this. This is your day off," he says, gathering the now-empty plates and glasses resting on the tray at the end of the bed.

"Dad," Emma says, looking at him skeptically. "He may need to be fed…"

"Well if he does, Cora will bring him to you. Besides, right now I don't think any of us could pry little Henry out of her hands if we tried. Now, you girls relax and enjoy your morning together…catch up on sleep or whatever you need to do. We'll be downstairs watching a movie. No hurry," he says as he departs.

"I miss him," Emma sighs as she leans back against the headboard. "Is that weird?"

"Not at all," Regina smiles. "We can go downstairs, Emma. We don't have to stay here all day," she points out. "It's only been an hour since you fed him, but I already miss his little chubby cheeks, too."

"Is it rude though to turn down their offer to give us the morning?"

"No," Regina shakes her head. "We already got breakfast in bed and got to sleep in a bit since they took care of him this morning. I think that's more than enough relaxation for me."

"I know, but I feel like it's looking a gift horse in the mouth," Emma sighs as she swings her legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…just still a little sore at certain angles…speaking of, why couldn't they have offered to come in a few weeks once I'm cleared for sex again? That's when it would be really great to have someone to watch him for a few hours in the morning."

Regina laughs. "A few hours? You're ambitious."

"I think 'horny' is the word you're looking for," the blonde answers as she stands up and makes her way to the dresser.

Regina can't help but stare at Emma's backside as she removes her silk pajama bottoms and changes into a pair of black leggings. "Well, we can always ask them to come down again…"

"I'm sure Cora would love that," Emma says. " 'Hey, Cora, mind coming to visit so you can babysit our newborn so your daughter can fuck me senseless?' I know she's been better recently, but I don't think we should test her limits."

Regina laughs as she, too, changes into her clothes for the day. "Well, no, that's not how I would recommend extending the invitation for another visit." She crosses over to where her wife is brushing out her hair, placing a feather-light kiss where her hair parts at the back of her neck. "We can always ask Jefferson and Will," Regina suggets. "I'm sure they would love some time with their godson."

"That is true," Emma comments. "And it's not like we won't be willing to do the same for them when their new little one comes along later this year."

"Exactly," Regina smiles. "It will be good practice for them. Grace is in kindergarten now, so it's been awhile since they've had a baby in their house."

"Good," Emma says, turning around to face Regina, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Then it's settled…and I'm literally counting down the days."

Regina presses a kiss to her lips before stepping back and offering Emma her hand. "Let's head down and see our little man."

 ***.*.***

"Please tell the story again," Zelena says later that afternoon as she's helping prepare dinner. Walsh and Robyn have gone to the park with Leopold, leaving Cora and Zelena behind with the family of three.

Emma grins as she steals a piece of cheese from the serving dish, looking over toward Regina. "Shall I?"

"Let's not," Regina rolls her eyes as she gently rocks Henry, approaching the kitchen island where the other women are gathered.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Regina," Zelena says with a wicked grin. "Just because you're a doctor doesn't mean you're immune."

"Be nice to your sister," Cora warns, but there's a hint of teasing undertones in her voice.

"What? I can't get at least a little enjoyment from the fact that my sister, the OBGYN, passed out during the birth of her own child?"

"I did not pass out," Regina clarifies. Henry stirs in her arms, and she apologetically shushes him, making a mental note not to let herself get too loud. He's sleeping peacefully after his feeding earlier in the afternoon, and she doesn't want to disturb him. "I hadn't eaten in nearly 24 hours. I had low blood sugar," she explains.

Regina had been seeing one of her patients through a long and challenging labor two weeks earlier, which had resulted in an emergency cesarean, immediately followed by two of her other patients going into labor and requiring her assistance. When she came out of the final procedure room, a nurse had rushed over to her to let her know Emma was on her way in. She was three and a half weeks early — it wasn't too uncommon, but it was still earlier than Regina would have liked. In her worry over her wife's early labor and subsequent exhaustion from her 18-hour work day, she hadn't had a chance to eat lunch or dinner and forgot about her own hunger as the night went on. Her focus had been on ensuring that Emma was progressing safely, and backseat doctoring the OB and every nurse who entered Emma's room. After Regina's beloved colleague Dr. Montgomery had threatened to throw Regina out of the room if she didn't let her do her job, the brunette had taken a step back. It wasn't until 12 hours later when she stood up to peek around the end of the bed to watch the birth of her first child that she realized how the lack of sustenance had affected her. She managed to sit herself on the edge of Emma's bed as she felt her legs start to give out, never letting go of Emma's hand as the blonde screamed through one of her final contractions. "Would one of you please get Dr. Mills here a protein bar so she doesn't faint?" Dr. Montgomery had deadpanned when she saw Regina's pale expression, before returning her focus to the task in front of her. One of the nurses had quickly jumped into action, handing Regina a Luna bar from their own pocket, which she gratefully accepted.

"Sure, low blood sugar," Zelena teases. "Are you sure it wasn't the site of your wife's beloved vagina being split in half?"

"Zelena! We are preparing food here," Cora protests.

"Yeah, can we please not talk about my vagina?" Emma winces at the memory. She loves her son, but she would like to forget about the actual birth and the associated discomfort.

"Sorry."

"We're back!" Walsh calls as he returned with Robyn and Leopold.

"Thank God," Regina sighs, hoping for a change in topic. "How was the park?"

"It was delightful," Leopold says as he hands Robyn back to the girl's mother.

The 10-month old grins at the redhead, reaching for her long curls. Regina smiles as she watches her sister. Despite all their differences and animosity from the time they were in high school up to the past year or so, she can't help but admire how great of a mother Zelena has proven herself to be. Regina never thought her sister would have kids, but she's turned into quite a mother. "Thank you for being here today, Zelena," she says as she watches them. "I know it's your first Mother's Day, too, so I appreciate you letting us hijack it."

Zelena smiles at her sister and reaches out her free hand to squeeze her shoulder. "There's no place I'd rather be," she says, looking down at her sleeping nephew in Regina's arms.

"Me, either," Regina agrees, looking over at Emma, who has shifted on her stool to be closer to the pair. The blonde's pinky finger is grasped tightly in Henry's palm as he continues to sleep peacefully. "I love you," she whispers softly, so only her wife can hear her.

Emma looks at her and smiles, kissing her on the side of her head before looking back down at their son. "I love you, too."

 **The End**

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm marking this one complete for now, as I'm not sure where else to take this and admittedly I find it really hard to write about kids, especially babies, so this feels like a natural ending point. That said, if inspiration strikes I may come back for a random flash forward.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read this verse. It's been really fun to write and I hope you've enjoyed it! I have a few more fic ideas in the works, and still have a lot of dissertation writing to procrastinate, so there will be more from me since this is more fun to write than my actual line of research. I've noticed that it seems like there are fewer SQ stories these days and that some of the writers (and readers) are leaving the fandom, but I'm hoping to stay as long as there is a fandom. Let's keep this pairing going!


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